The Mets are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
MILWAUKEE — Max Scherzer’s perfection Monday night served as the ideal springboard for the Mets to celebrate a playoff berth and the right-hander’s 200th career win. In his return from the injured list, Scherzer retired all 18 batters he faced over six innings and struck out nine in helping the Mets clinch their first postseason appearance since 2016 with a 7-2 victory over the Brewers at American Family Field.
The Mets, with their fifth straight victory, maintained their one-game lead on Atlanta in the NL East race, but are assured at least a wild-card berth. They joined the Dodgers and Astros among MLB teams officially in the postseason. “We have higher ambitions ahead,” Pete Alonso said before the game. “But getting into the postseason is an honor, it’s a collective group effort and that is something that deserves to be recognized and celebrated, but with the higher purpose in mind.” Scherzer, who had been stuck on 199 career victories since beating the Braves four starts earlier, recorded No. 200 with a flourish. He needed only 68 pitches in handling the Brewers before departing — Buck Showalter wasn’t going to push him in his return from an oblique irritation that cost him two starts. Scherzer joined Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke as the only active pitchers with at least 200 victories. Tylor Megill pitched the seventh in his relief debut for the Mets and allowed a two-run homer to Rowdy Tellez after Christian Yelich had doubled for the Brewers’ first hit. Alonso’s three-run homer in the fourth inning set the Mets toward the clinch. Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil singled in succession before Alonso fell behind 1-2 in the count to Corbin Burnes and blasted a shot into the left-field mezzanine. Alonso’s homer was his 36th this season and gave him 118 RBIs. Brandon Nimmo and Lindor delivered consecutive triples in the sixth that extended the Mets’ lead to 4-0 before Daniel Vogelbach singled in another run. It continued a hot stretch for Vogelbach, who entered play having reached base in 10 of his previous 13 plate appearances. Burnes, the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, lasted 5 ²/₃ innings and allowed five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Seth Lugo, who pitched a scoreless eighth, is among the few Mets who previously clinched a postseason berth with the team. The right-hander arrived to the big leagues midway through the 2016 season and helped cement a hurting rotation as the Mets surged to the wild card. The Mets clinched with a victory in Philadelphia and held a full champagne-spraying party in the visitors’ clubhouse. Pete Alonso, left, celebrates with Daniel Vogelbach during the Mets’ win over the Brewers.The Mets’ 2016 ride ended with a wild-card game loss to the Giants. In the five seasons that followed, the Mets finished with a losing record four times and were largely removed from the race this deep into September. In pandemic-shortened 2020, the Mets were mathematically alive the final weekend of the regular season — in an expanded playoff format — but finished with three straight losses in Washington and were shut out from the postseason. Lindor reached Game 7 of the World Series with Cleveland in 2016 and has played in the postseason three times since then. “Every year it feels like the first time,” he said. “Every year it’s a great experience. We have played well all year long, however, we understand that’s not the end goal. We have a bigger picture.”
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