MILWAUKEE — Just when the Mets were preparing to “Roll out the Barrel” for another postgame celebration, eighth-inning disaster struck.
Phil Maton entered to protect a one-run lead, and by the time he departed following the third out, the Brewers had blasted two home runs and redirected the momentum in this NL Wild Card Series.
There will be a decisive Game 3 on Thursday after the Mets squandered their opportunity for a two-game sweep in this series with a 5-3 loss in front of 40,350 at American Family Field.
This wasn’t all on Maton — the Mets went the last seven innings without scoring.
But the right-hander got jumped almost from the moment he entered the game, and then the Brewers went for the kill.
Garrett Mitchell’s two-run homer with two outs was the crusher, after rookie Jackson Chourio’s blast (his second of the game) had erased the Mets’ 3-2 lead.
It was a second straight shaky outing from Maton, who had to be replaced Monday in the eighth inning by Edwin Diaz in Atlanta.
On this night, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek each gave the Mets a scoreless inning in relief before Maton’s meltdown.
Sean Manaea gave the Mets five innings in which he allowed two earned runs on six hits and struck out four.
The left-hander was removed after 86 pitches with the Mets ahead 3-2.
Brandon Nimmo stroked an RBI single in the first to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Francisco Lindor led off the game with a walk and Jose Iglesias avoided a double play with a sprint to first that just beat the relay throw before Mark Vientos reached on an infield hit and Nimmo delivered with a chopper through the first-base hole.
But the Mets rally was curtailed with Pete Alonso stumbling on his bat as he ran to first base on a grounder that became an easy 6-4-3 double play.
Chourio got the run back with a homer leading off the bottom of the inning.
Manaea threw an 0-2 sinker that Chourio blasted over the right-field fence.
The Mets jumped on Frankie Montas again in the second, scoring two unearned runs after Montas dropped Rhys Hoskins’ throw while covering first base on Starling Marte’s grounder.
Then, after Tyrone Taylor singled, Francisco Alvarez stroked an RBI single. Lindor’s ensuing sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 3-1 lead.
Montas lasted only 3 ²/₃ innings and surrendered three runs, two of which were unearned, on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Trevor Megill plunked Nimmo with two outs in the fifth and balked the runner to second, but struck out Alonso. Megill, the older brother of Mets pitcher Tylor Megill, struck out three batters in the inning.
The Brewers scrapped for a run in the fifth to pull within 3-2.
Brice Turang slapped a leadoff double past third base and advanced on Chourio’s groundout to the right side before Blake Perkins’ drive to center brought in Turang.
The Mets loaded the bases in the sixth against Joel Payamps, who struck out Iglesias to end the threat. J.D. Martinez walked and Marte singled before Lindor was intentionally walked with two outs.
Garrett allowed a single to Gary Sanchez in the sixth, but his pinch runner, Mitchell, was nailed by Alvarez attempting to steal second.