Colin Rea and a trio of relievers combined on a three-hitter Monday night for the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, who beat the New York Mets 2-1 in the opener of a four-game series.
Joey Wiemer hit the go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning for the Brewers, who improved to 3-1 on a 10-game road trip. Christian Yelich had two singles while Rowdy Tellez had the game’s only other extra-base hit, a first-inning double.
Francisco Lindor lofted a fourth-inning sacrifice fly for the Mets, who are 6-16 this month. Lindor and teammates Starling Marte and Brett Baty each had a single.
Rea (4-4) gave up one run on three hits and one walk while striking out three over 6 1/3 innings.
Hoby Milner retired all four batters he faced and Elvis Peguero struck out Marte to end the eighth. Devin Williams recorded his 14th save with a 1-2-3 ninth in which he threw just six pitches.
Rea allowed just a walk through the first three innings before Marte led off the fourth with a first-pitch single. Marte then stole second, took third when the throw from William Contreras sailed into center field and scored on Lindor’s fly ball to the track in right.
The Mets didn’t get a runner beyond first base the rest of the way.
The Brewers threatened regularly against Justin Verlander during his five scoreless innings before taking the lead against Drew Smith (3-3) in the sixth, when Jesse Winker led off with a single and scored on Wiemer’s two-out homer to center.
Verlander allowed five hits and two walks while striking out five. He had just one 1-2-3 inning and wriggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first by getting Owen Miller to hit into a comebacker to for a forceout at the plate before retiring Winker on a groundout.
–Field Level Media