Mets seek better effort versus Brewers
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(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Mets are in the midst of their first crisis of the season. Hopefully a visit from the lowly Milwaukee Brewers will get them back on track.
The Mets try to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak on Friday when they welcome the Brewers to Citi Field for the start of a three-game set.
New York looked awful this past week in Chicago, as it was swept in a four- gamer at Wrigley Field for the first time in 23 years, culminating with a 6-5 loss on Thursday.
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Anthony Recker had the first multi-home run game of his career, but it was his passed ball that allowed Dexter Fowler score what proved to be the decisive run. Shortstop Wilmer Flores also had a big error that led to a Cubs run.
"We got to make the play," said Mets manager Terry Collins. "In any game, you got to make plays, and we didn't make it."
The Mets are now 5-10 since opening the year 15-5.
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Now they'll turn to veteran right-hander Bartolo Colon, who will try to become the league's first seven-game winner, while trying to close in on the team record for most consecutive innings without a walk.
Colon improved to 6-1 on Sunday in Philadelphia, as he allowed four runs and eight hits in six innings. He also extended his streak of innings without a walk to 40 1/3, leaving him 7 1/3 shy of matching Bret Saberhagen's franchise record from 1994.
He hasn't walked a batter since his first start back on April 6 against the Nationals.
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Colon is 3-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, will counter with a veteran righty of its own in Kyle Lohse, who has struggled, going 2-4 with a 7.03 ERA. Lohse, though, earned a win his last time out against the Chicago Cubs, as he allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings.
Lohse has faced the Mets 11 times and is 2-4 against them with a 4.68 ERA.
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Milwaukee lost the final two games of its three-game affair with the Chicago White Sox, falling 4-2 in Wednesday's rubber match at Miller Park.
Jimmy Nelson (1-4) gave up three runs in the first and was tagged with the loss after yielding four runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings.
"He pitched into the seventh inning. It was the first inning again. Just kind of getting on track and getting into the rhythm," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Nelson's outing.
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Milwaukee won four of its seven meetings with the Mets a year ago. The Brewers have also won 12 of their last 15 in Flushing.