Sean Manaea, Mets struggle in 8-4 loss to Brewers to start critical weekend series

The Mets fell behind big early and lost 8-4 to the Brewers in Milwaukee on Friday night, falling into a tie with the Atlanta Braves for the third NL wild card spot, pending the outcome of the Arizona Diamondbacks game at home against the San Diego Padres.

If the D-Backs lose, they too will be tied with the Mets and Braves, with two wild-card spots up for grabs.

Here are the takeaways…

-After trailing all night the Mets had a chance to get back in the game in the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out, but Brewers’ rookie Jackson Chourio made a great catch on Harrison Bader’s drive to deep left field.

Chourio made the catch on the run before slamming into the left field wall. One run scored on what turned into a sacrifice fly, as the Mets cut the lead to 7-3 at the time, but the catch may have been a game-saver for the Brewers.

–Sean Manaea, who had been pitching like an ace for two months, never looked right in this one. He was missing his spots and his fastball didn’t seem to have its usual zip. The combination cost him in the first inning as he walked two hitters, loading the bases with two outs, and then gave up a grand slam on a 3-2 fastball to Rhys Hoskins.

Manaea thought he had Hoskins struck out on 2-2 fastball at the top of the strike zone but didn’t get the call from home plate umpire Ramon de Jesus.

The Mets’ lefthander pitched into the fourth inning but never found his rhythm, notching only one strikeout before the Brewers knocked him out of the game. He wound up giving up six runs, five of them earned, on seven hits and two walks.

It’s only the fifth time this season that Manaea has allowed as many as five earned runs in a game, the first since July 19.

-From the first inning, the Mets appeared unhappy with de Jesus’ work behind the plate calling balls and strikes, eventually leading to Carlos Mendoza getting ejected.

The home plate ump appeared to miss a few calls on Manaea in the first inning, and then called Francisco Alvarez in the fourth inning with two outs and two runners on base, on a slider that appeared to be low.

Alvarez howled in protest and Mendoza came out of the dugout yelling at de Jesus, quickly getting tossed. It was his second ejection of the season.

-If the Mets wind up earning the third wild card spot and a postseason matchup with the Brewers, they better find a way to slow down Milwaukee’s running game.

The Brewers stole six bases in five attempts on Friday night, three by Brice Turang, and are now 14-for-14 against them this season, going back to their 8-for-8 steals in the three-game series to open the season at Citi Field.

The Brewers began the night second in the majors in stolen bases with 211, behind only the Washington Nationals.

–Francisco Lindor started for the first time since Sept. 15 and played the game without visibly aggravating his back injury, but he didn’t look right while trying to make plays at shortstop.

Twice he threw one-hoppers to Pete Alonso on fairly routine ground balls, one that skipped past for an error. Both times he moved stiffly and threw on the run rather than setting himself to make a stronger throw, despite having time to do so.

At the plate, Lindor went 2-for-4 with a walk and two singles.

Alvarez had to leave the gamen the seventh inning after appearing to injure his back while sliding into third base.

The Mets catcher advanced from second to third on a ground out without a throw, but immediately grabbed for his lower back as he slid feet-first. After getting examined by the Mets’ medical people, Alvarez came out of the game.

He was replaced by Luis Torrens. If Alvarez can’t go on Saturday the Mets will need a backup catcher. They don’t have another one on their 40-man roster.

Game MVP: Rhys Hoskins

Rhys Hoskins, who had several big hits against the Mets during his years with the Philadelphia Phillies, set the tone for this one by taking Manaea deep on a 3-2 fastball for a grand slam in the first inning.