By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer
MILWAUKEE — Mark Vientos hit a tiebreaking, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning as the indefatigable New York Mets continued their thrilling week by beating the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-4, in an National League Wild Card Series opener on Tuesday.
The Mets didn’t earn a playoff berth until they rallied late from a three-run deficit to win the opening game of a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta on Monday, one day after the regular season was supposed to end.
Now they’re a win from heading to Philadelphia for an NL Division Series.
“I knew we were in a good spot when we boarded the plane,” Manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We celebrated. We got out of the clubhouse in Atlanta, and you could tell right away our mentality was next day, next game.”
Since Major League Baseball went to the current postseason format in 2022 that features four best-of-three Wild Card Series, the Game 1 winner has gone on to advance in each of the eight series. Only one of those eight series even made it to a winner-take-all third game.
Milwaukee has lost 10 of its last 11 playoff games, a stretch that began with its Game 7 home defeat against the Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
Jesse Winker and pinch-hitter J.D. Martinez each drove in two runs for the Mets. Winker, who batted .199 with a .567 OPS for the Brewers last year before bouncing back this season, drew a chorus of boos each time he came to the plate. He also appeared to exchange words with Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames after hitting a two-run triple in the second.
Brice Turang went 3 for 4, Jackson Chourio was 2 for 4 and William Contreras had two RBIs for the Brewers. According to MLB.com, the 20-year-old Chourio was the youngest player to get two hits in his playoff debut.
The NL Central champion Brewers had been 5-0 against the Mets this season before losing to them 5-0 in their regular-season finale on Sunday.
That sent the Mets to Atlanta needing one win in the doubleheader to reach the postseason, and they clinched a spot by scoring all their runs in the final two innings of an 8-7 victory over the rival Braves.
New York was back on the field in Milwaukee again just 22 hours after the twin bill – and the Mets showed a similar tenacity Tuesday.
“It’s hard to be tired when you’re playing playoff baseball,” Vientos said. “I had a bunch of energy. I know all of us did. We were all excited, and we got the job done.”
After the Brewers took an early lead with two runs in the first inning, the Mets answered by scoring three times in the second. Once the Brewers pulled back ahead with two runs in the fourth, the Mets quickly responded again, this time with five runs in the fifth.
Milwaukee had just taken a 4-3 lead heading into the fifth when Manager Pat Murphy removed Freddy Peralta, who had thrown 68 pitches and retired the last nine batters he faced, and turned to a relief corps that ranked second in the majors in bullpen ERA this season.
“It had been an emotional (68) pitches,” Murphy said. “What’s he got, 20 left? He’s usually between 83 and 90, is when he kind of loses a little bit on his fastball. I didn’t want (him) to face those guys three times around.”
The move backfired.
Starling Marte greeted Joel Payamps by hitting a drive that a leaping Chourio caught at the left-field wall. Tyrone Taylor then doubled to left on a flyball Chourio misjudged, allowing it to go off his glove.
With two on and two outs, Jose Iglesias hit a hard grounder that first baseman Rhys Hoskins snared. But Iglesias dove headfirst and beat Payamps to the bag for an infield single, with Taylor racing all the way home from second to tie the game.
Payamps blamed himself afterward for believing the ball was hit closer to first base than it actually was, and then reacting too late.
“That’s a routine play that I failed to execute,” Paympas said through a translator. “Things kind of spiraled from there.”
Aaron Ashby took over for Payamps, but didn’t retire any of the five batters he faced.
After Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single, Vientos hit a two-run single to right. Ashby threw a wild pitch and intentionally walked Pete Alonso to load the bases before Martinez, batting for Winker, delivered a two-run single to right.
“They’re gritty hitters, man,” Ashby said. “They’re two-strike, putting-the-ball-in-play and making things happen. … I’m coming in here that inning to strike guys out. I didn’t execute pitches the way I’m able to.”
The Brewers went down quietly after that. Chourio hit an RBI single in the fourth, but Mets pitchers retired the next 17 batters to end the game.
New York starter Luis Severino recovered nicely from a shaky start. He allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned) in six innings for the win. José Buttó threw two perfect innings and Ryne Stanek retired the side in order in the ninth.
“We’re not satisfied,” Severino said. “We know the potential that we have in that clubhouse, and we want to go out there, and we’re going to fight. We’re going to fight until the end, and hopefully that end is going to be hopefully win the World Series.”
Left-hander Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA) starts for the Mets in Game 2, five days after he allowed six runs (five earned) over 3⅔ innings in an 8-4 loss at Milwaukee. Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.84) will pitch for Milwaukee.
