Brewers vs Mets live wild-card playoff Game 1, score updates today

Playoff baseball is back again in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Brewers open their best-of-three National League wild-card series on Tuesday against the New York Mets at American Family Field.

Freddy Peralta starts for the Brewers in Game 1 of the wild-card playoff series against the New York Mets on Tuesday.

Right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta will start for the Brewers, while Luis Severino takes the mound for the Mets.

We’ll have live coverage throughout the day and game. Be sure to refresh your browser for the latest.

FINAL: New York Mets 8, Milwaukee Brewers 4

The nightmare fifth inning, from the decision to pull Freddy Peralta to a late cover to a couple defensive miscues to a parade of Mets singles, will be the story. The Brewers offense also went into the chiller thereafter, with 16 straight batters retired after a fruitful first four innings.

Milwaukee goes down 1-0 in the series and will play must-win games Tuesday and Wednesday hoping to continue their season.

It’s a 2 hour, 43 minute game.

FINAL: Mets 8, Brewers 4

The only silver lining: Aaron Civale was superb

The one thing you can say about Game 1 is that Aaron Civale was able to do his job and work three clean innings to keep any more relievers from needing to work.

He allowed one over the minimum and did not allow a hit in his three frames. Might be the last we see of Aaron Civale this year, but he definitely earned some cachet with this one.

Ryne Stanek checking in for the Mets, so New York will, in fact, use three pitchers in the game.

Brewers offense has gone ice cold as Game 1 loss draws near

It’s hard to properly contextualize everything that has gone wrong for Milwaukee.

In the first four innings, they put runners in scoring position each time and scored four times (and probably could have had more). But since the fifth inning of doom, they have seen 13 straight batters retired. Not only has that prevented Milwaukee from getting any momentum whatsoever, but it’s going to allow the Mets to throw only two pitchers (Luis Severino and José Butto). Milwaukee’s biggest advantage coming into the series was that the Mets’ pitching staff was taxed and tired. And now they’ve almost gotten a day off.

And then, of course, the Brewers are going to go down 1-0 and need to win back-to-back elimination games.

END EIGHTH: Mets 8, Brewers 4

Aaron Civale with another clean inning for Brewers

Brewers starter Aaron Civale has essentially been tasked with saving the rest of this bullpen and so far, he’s done the trick. That’s a second straight clean inning. Neither team has scored since Milwaukee’s fifth-inning meltdown.

Last 11 Brewers have now been retired in order

Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Garrett Mitchell all went down quietly in the seventh, and it’s shaping up to be a Game 1 loss for the second straight postseason in this best-of-three format. No team has come back from an 0-1 deficit in the infancy of this format (this being year No. 3). Feels like that’ll get a test in 2024, though, with three road teams winning Game 1s so far, assuming this score holds.

END SEVENTH: Mets 8, Brewers 4

Aaron Civale works a clean seventh, but time is running out

Aaron Civale allowed a two-out walk to Pete Alonso, but no harm comes to Milwaukee in the seventh, and the Brewers will try to crack into an 8-4 deficit in the bottom of the seventh with the team’s best hitters due up.

Luis Severino is now through six innings for Mets

One of the unfortunate by-products of that terrible inning is that Mets starter Luis Severino has been able to stay in the game, now through six innings. Sure, he’s allowed four runs on eight hits, but he just worked his second straight 1-2-3 inning, and Milwaukee isn’t able to further deplete a Mets bullpen that has been through the ringer in recent days just trying to get into this game.

The offense did its fair share, and with the air sucked out of the room, it appears the bats have slowed down, too.

Nick Mears, by the way, had a clean sixth for Milwaukee. Aaron Civale checks in next.

END SIXTH: Mets 8, Brewers 4

Polish sausage takes a tumble during sausage race

Fans were able to cheer about one thing; the Polish just took a hard fall on the back-stretch of the nightly sausage race.

That … is a metaphor.

Aaron Ashby becomes first pitcher to notch dubious distinction since 2011 as part of brutal fifth inning

Ashby’s nightmare inning makes him just the 10th pitcher in playoff history to face five batters and get none of them out. The last time it happened, Brad Ziegler faced six … against the Brewers in Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS for the Diamondbacks. Same venue, different vibes.

It’s not fair to put that bad inning entirely on Ashby, though. Joel Payamps didn’t have it, gave up some awful contact and didn’t cover first. Jackson Chourio made a hell of a play on the ball but then couldn’t make another one. Willy Adames couldn’t make a tough play. The Brewers defense is what sets them apart, and making any of those plays keeps the inning from happening.

By the way, there are 40,022 fans in the house tonight. It’s not a sellout.

Brewers now trail, 8-4, as things go from bad to worse

The two-out rally has reached five runs for the Mets and the bases are still loaded, as J.D. Martinez singles through the right side to plate a pair more for the Mets. Aaron Ashby, another pitcher who looked lethal down the stretch, is having a nightmare outing.

He had Martinez down, 0-2, after intentionally walking Pete Alonso. Jesse Winker was due up, but Martinez pinch hit and went down 0-2 before fighting back into the count.

Ashby, one of the few players on this roster with playoff experience, is having all kinds of trouble, walking Starling Marte on four pitches right after the Martinez single. That prompts Murphy to pop out of the dugout for another pitching change, and Nick Mears will check in.

Ashby got no outs. He leaves having faced five batters, allowing three singles, two walks (one intentional, but he’d fallen behind in the count in that at-bat as well), and a wild pitch.

Mears gets the last out on one pitch with a fly to center. The Mets sent 10 batters to the plate and are well on their way to a Game 1 win, though the Brewers have a few innings left to cook.

If Joel Payamps covers first base, this inning never happens.

The Brewers go 1-2-3 in the fifth.

END FIFTH: Mets 8, Brewers 4

And now the Brewers have their biggest deficit of the game

Milwaukee simply cannot get out of the fifth, and Joel Payamps’ inability to cover first might just cost this team a playoff game.

Ashby fares not much better. Brandon Nimmo reaches on an infield single that would have been a tough play for Willy Adames, although a bobble didn’t help. Then Mark Vientos quickly singles through the right side to plate two more runs. It was 4-3, and now it’s 6-4, Mets, all because of runs after two outs.

American Family Field is a morgue right now. Mets have only six hits, but they’re 4 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The team’s pitching and defense have not been on point today.

Mets tie the game on a brutal infield play by Milwaukee

The lead is gone, yet again, just like that

Joel Payamps has been rocked with some hard contact, but he was still in position to get out of the inning. Rhys Hoskins snared a tough grounder but Payamps was late covering the bag, and he didn’t make it to the base in time ahead of the sliding Jose Iglesias. That let the tying run score. It was Tyrone Taylor, whose ball Chourio couldn’t quite snare.

Payamps with two well-hit balls to left field, one caught, and a well-struck ball that turns into a game-tying hit. For the second playoffs in a row, the Brewers simply can’t hold a lead.

Payamps might have had a play on Taylor charging hard around third base, but he didn’t even get a throw off. Not a good outing from a guy who was rock-solid for Milwaukee down the stretch.

It’s 4-4 and Aaron Ashby is checking in.

Chou-rio! Chou-rio! Rookie makes sensational play in outfield

The offense isn’t enough for Jackson Chourio.

Fans down the left field line began chanting Chourio’s name after he went up and made a leaping catch against the left-field wall to retire Starling Marte leading off the fifth. Replays showed that it likely would have been a home run, and the crowd absolutely loves it. So does Chourio, who was fired up after the snare.

Unfortunately, Chourio misjudges a screamer off the bat of former Brewer Tyrone Taylor one batter later, and it glances off Choruio’s glove for a one-out double. But that’s far better than a leadoff homer.

Freddy Peralta’s day is done as Joel Payamps checks in for fifth

We’ve known this would be a bullpen-heavy performance from the Brewers in this series and we’re already seeing it. With the Brewers re-taking the lead in the fourth, Payamps is on the mound for the fifth. Freddy Peralta worked three great innings and one bad one, finishing with three runs allowed on two hits. The big one was Jesse Winker’s two-run triple with nobody out.

The Brewers have re-taken the lead in the fourth!

Jackson Chourio smoked a shot back up the middle, allowing Sal Frelick to score the tying run as the Brewers and Mets found themselves back to even at 3-3 in the fourth.

Chourio saw nobody was covering second base and turned a normal single into a hustle double, making it second and third with one out. When William Contreras hit a bounder to shortstop, it allowed Brice Turang to score the go-ahead run, and Milwaukee has reclaimed the lead.

Frelick led off the inning with a double, and Turang’s third hit of the game was an infield single after he worked another 8-pitch at-bat against Severino.

END FOURTH: Brewers 4, Mets 3

An even more efficient inning from Freddy Peralta in the fourth

There was a really good case for taking Freddy Peralta out during the second inning. But the Brewers starter has rebounded to deliver back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. After an 11-pitch third, he threw only eight pitches in the fourth, and I would imagine he’ll be back for the fifth.

That’s a nice win for the Brewers, who still trail 3-2.

Brewers miss an opportunity in the third and fail to score

The Brewers had runners at the corners with one out in the third, but Rhys Hoskins hit a slow bounder that turned into an easy double play to end the frame. Garrett Mitchell walked and Jake Bauers singled him to third after Willy Adames popped out, and Hoskins simply doesn’t have the speed to beat out anything on the infield.

The encouraging thing is that Milwaukee has gotten runners in scoring position all three innings, but they won’t get many more looks at Luis Severino.

END THIRD: Mets 3, Brewers 2

Freddy Peralta bounces back with 11-pitch third inning

Freddy Peralta worked 1-2-3 against the top of the Mets order, striking out Brandon Nimmo to end the frame. That’s a big bounceback and probably buys him another inning. The Brewers will send Garrett Mitchell to the plate to lead off the third.

Brice Turang has two doubles today, but Brewers go quietly in the second

Brice Turang’s one-out double went for naught when Jackson Chourio and William Contreras flew out to end the second inning. The Brewers will face a 3-2 deficit heading into the third. Lots of ballgame left for a team that’s ambushing first pitches and putting the ball in play, but a dispiriting quick turn of events.

END SECOND: Mets 3, Brewers 2

Chris Christie is here at the ballpark for Brewers-Mets game

Any well-known politicians in Milwaukee today?

Chris Christie is parked near the Mets dugout alongside Mets owner Steve Cohen, so that’s certainly an interesting celebrity sighting. Donald Trump, of course, is campaigning in Milwaukee the same day.

The Mets take the lead on Starling Marte sacrifice fly, 3-2

You just had to figure Jesse Winker would burn his old team, and he certainly has.

Not only did he tie the game, but he scored the go-ahead run in the second on Starling Marte’s deep drive to center. The Mets have scored three runs and Freddy Peralta has recorded only four outs as Nick Mears starts warming in the Brewers bullpen.

A disastrous inning. It’s the third playoff game in a row when the offense spotted the Brewers a lead, and a trustworthy starter couldn’t keep it for long.

Jesse Winker hears it from the fans, then triples in two runs to tie the game

Brewers fans unhappy with Jesse Winker’s performance in a Brewers uniform last year give him a round of boos as he steps to the plate in the second, after the Mets put two runners on with a single and walk against Freddy Peralta with nobody out.

Winker, who by the way is a great dude and was still battling from offseason surgery last year, got two puzzling postseason at-bats at this stage of the tournament, and apparently Milwaukee hasn’t forgotten. He’s been excellent this year first for Washington, and then joined the Mets at the trade deadline.

And … he triples into the corner. The Mets have already tied the game.

Freddy Peralta does not look strong. After a 1-2-3 inning, he’s been unable to locate much of anything. He fell behind Winker before surrendering the three-base hit. Winker stands at third with nobody out.

Winker seemed to be chirping with Willy Adames after the moment, too.

The first three Brewers batters reach and Milwaukee is on the board

The offense came out hot, too.

Brice Turang hit a funky spinner toward third baseman Mark Vientos, who got caught between trying to catch it and field it on a hop, and it skittered away from him for a leadoff double. Jackson Chourio and William Contreras both singled on the first pitch they saw, allowing Turang to score and give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. Contreras swung kind of awkwardly but found the gap between first and second.

The Brewers loaded the bases with one out before Jake Bauers popped out to the catcher, but Rhys Hoskins was grazed with a pitch for an RBI the hard way, and that made it 2-0.

END FIRST: Brewers 2, Mets 0.

Freddy Peralta works a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts

That’s about as good a start as you can get if you’re Freddy Peralta and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Peralta punched out MVP candidate Francisco Lindor on six pitches, then needed just three to dismiss Jose Iglesias before an eight-pitch battle with Brandon Nimmo also ended in a popout on the infield. That’s a 1-2-3 first frame for the Brewers, who will now go to work against Luis Severino.

Had the Braves won the first game of the doubleheader yesterday, Severino would have been needed for the nightcap; instead he’s here in Game 1 of the wild-card series.

The controversial rally towels are out again

Because we’ll never be able to fully avoid fan-enthusiasm discourse, the golden rally towels are back, and while they make a cool visual, they do tamp down the energy in the building a little bit. But the fans give a roar as Freddy Peralta emerges from the dugout for the first inning.

Those towels have been the subject of much online chatter in postseasons past, often tied to diminished crowd noise.

Let’s play some baseball!

The Royals have a lead on Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader would be in line for the win if the Astros can finish off a ninth-inning rally and their former teammates are about to throw first pitch here at American Family field.

The 2024 postseason is upon us.

Ceremonial first pitches thrown by Jim Gantner and Brandon Woodruff

The Brewers commemorated their past and present with the ceremonial first pitches, giving one to Jim Gantner (Wisconsin native and part of the 1982 World Series team during his two-decade career in a Brewers uniform) and another to Brandon Woodruff, who has missed the full year with a shoulder injury. It’s unfortunate that it’s the only pitch he’ll throw in this building all year, but perhaps he’ll get another run in 2025.

Mike Moustakas, who hit a walk-off winner in Game 1 of the 2018 playoffs, is scheduled to throw one out tomorrow.

Brewers get the red-carpet treatment for opening lineups

Rickie Weeks, Christian Yelich and Pat Murphy were among those who got the healthiest cheers during the pregame ceremony in which players popped out of the dugout one-by-one, but I think Jackson Chourio wins the day in terms of fan enthusiasm. Willy Adames is close.

The team has mounted an archway and some barrels for an appropriately showy entryway onto the field. The crowd is filling in, and I’m guessing this reaches sellout status, but it’s definitely not jammed with 10 minutes to go before first pitch.

Speaking guys who were here in last year’s postseason … Jesse Winker and Tyrone Taylor in the Mets lineup

What a wild journey it’s been for both Tyrone Taylor and Jesse Winker, both with the Brewers in this exact same spot last year and now in the visiting clubhouse.

Taylor was traded with Adrian Houser to the Mets over the offseason in exchange for minor leaguer Coleman Crow. Taylor hit a two-run homer in Game 1 of last year’s NL Division Series against the Diamondbacks, though the Brewers lost the series, 2-0.

He’s worked his way into regular starting time, even as a center fielder, which is where he’ll play Tuesday.

Winker, meanwhile, is batting sixth and serving as designated hitter. Winker was an interesting addition to the Brewers’ postseason roster after a star-crossed season, and he received some boos after making outs in his two postseason at-bats.

He was acquired at the trade deadline from Washington after having a resurgent season with the Nationals. Winker hasn’t been as good for the Mets, but he’ll get the playoff start in the same building where he was playing last year.

Former Brewer Corbin Burnes takes the mound for Baltimore

Last year at this time, Corbin Burnes was preparing for Game 1 of a wild-card series. This year, he’s once again suiting up for Game 1, but this time his former team is in a different building. Burnes took the hill for the Baltimore Orioles to kick off their wild-card series with the Royals; Kansas City’s closer has been Lucas Erceg, a former Brewers position-player prospect who has found success after converting to the mound.

There’s no score in that game as of 3:30 p.m. Burnes last year was staked a lead but ultimately allowed four home runs to Arizona in a Game 1 loss. Will it be different this year in Baltimore?

The Brewers are wondering the same thing for themselves. One more hour before first pitch here at American Family Field.

What time is the Brewers game on today?

Time: 4:32 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 1

The Brewers are in the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years and it’s the second straight season they are hosting a wild-card series.

What channel is the Brewers vs Mets wild card playoff game on today?

ESPN

Brewers lineup

Brice Turang 2B
Jackson Chourio LF
William Contreras C
Garrett Mitchell CF
Willy Adames SS
Jake Bauers DH
Rhys Hoskins 1B
Sal Frelick RF
Joey Ortiz 3B

Mets lineup

Francisco Lindor SS
José Iglesias 2B
Brandon Nimmo LF
Mark Vientos 3B
Pete Alonso 1B
Jesse Winker DH
Starling Marte RF
Tyrone Taylor CF
Francisco Alvarez C

How to watch:TV schedule for Brewers-Mets wild card playoff Game 1

Brewers postseason wild-card roster

The Brewers released their playoff roster for the wild-card series against the Mets, and Sal Frelick — whose hip injury in the final series of the year put his roster status in question — is on the list.

Isaac Collins is also on the roster, as are all three catchers who have been with the team during the latter portion of the season. Notable players missing are reliever Bryan Hudson, who hasn’t been with the team for most of the September while working in Class AAA Nashville, and Colin Rea, a starter all season who worked more than 100 pitches in the season finale.

The Brewers do have four pitchers who have been starting on the team, including Freddy Peralta, Frankie Montas, Tobias Myers and Aaron Civale. Here’s the full list:

PITCHERS: Aaron Ashby, Aaron Civale, DL Hall, Jared Koenig, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Frankie Montas, Tobias Myers, Joel Payamps, Freddy Peralta, Joe Ross, Devin Williams
CATCHERS: William Contreras, Eric Haase, Gary Sánchez
INFIELDERS: Willy Adames, Jake Bauers, Rhys Hoskins, Andruw Monsaterio, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang
OUTFIELDERS: Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Blake Perkins

RANKING BREWERS ROSTER:From 1 to 26, who is most crucial to October success