In a rare sight, the ace Max Scherzer struggled on the mound as he allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs in the New York Mets’ blowout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. The Mets lost 9-4 to the Brewers, in a game that was frustrating for Scherzer, who had been dominant for much of the season.
Scherzer had a shaky start, giving up three runs in the first inning. However, he was able to settle down and kept the Brewers scoreless until the fifth inning. In that inning, however, he ran into trouble, allowing three consecutive home runs to Jack Peterson, Eduardo Escobar, and Rowdy Tellez. It was a brutal sequence, and it left Scherzer visibly frustrated on the mound.
The three home runs came on three consecutive pitches, a rarity in the game of baseball. Peterson hit a fastball, Escobar hit a cutter, and Tellez hit a slider. Scherzer had been mixing his pitches well all season, but he seemed to struggle with his location in the fifth inning, which led to the home runs.
The loss was a disappointing one for the Mets, who had hoped to gain ground on the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East race. Scherzer had been acquired by the Mets in a trade deadline deal with the Washington Nationals, and he had been dominant in his first four starts with the team. He had allowed only two runs over 27 innings pitched, earning four wins and bringing the Mets back to contention in the division.
However, the loss on Sunday was a reminder that even the best pitchers in the game can have an off day. Scherzer has been one of the best pitchers in baseball for over a decade, with a career ERA of 3.16 and 2,980 strikeouts. He has won three Cy Young Awards, and he is likely headed to the Hall of Fame when his career is over.
Despite the loss, the Mets are still in contention in the NL East, trailing the Braves by three games. Scherzer’s next start will be on Friday against the Nationals, his former team. The Mets will hope that he can bounce back and help them get back in the win column.
