A gray sky hung over Citi Field, but the streaky Brewers played like the sun had broken through. Early jitters faded fast. Sal Frelick took care of that, sending the second pitch he saw arcing into the seats, a jolt that crackled through the Milwaukee dugout.
The crowd barely had time to settle before the game twisted again. Joey Ortiz, haunted by a bases-loaded double play just two innings prior, got a second shot. He didn’t blink. This time, he waited out the pitcher, measured his swing, and launched a grand slam so pure even Mets fans had to nod. Redemption served loud and clear.
Ortiz’s Second Chance Wasn’t Wasted
Ortiz’s afternoon could easily have ended in regret. Bases loaded, one out, the Brewers pressing for runs, and he chopped into a double play that left his teammates shaking their heads. Two innings later, the lineup turned over and fate offered a rare do-over. Ortiz stepped in, working the count like he had nowhere better to be. He took his chance, he fouled off, he waited.
Then, with the count 3-1, he got the pitch he’d hoped for. The swing was clean, the contact emphatic, a grand slam hammered into left. As he rounded first, the dugout erupted. There was nothing accidental about it. Ortiz’s recent numbers, a .291 average over 15 games, four homers in seven, looked like the start of something momentous.
That kind of clutch performance from young talent doesn’t just energize a team, it can meaningfully shift the odds to win World Series down the line if Ortiz keeps trending upward.
Peralta’s Steady Hand Guides the Brewers Through
Teammate Freddy Peralta didn’t need flash. He needed focus. And he delivered. The Mets sent their best, Lindor, Marte, and Soto out to test him, working counts, fouling off fastballs. The first inning alone burned 25 pitches. By the third, a wild pitch and a walk handed New York its only brief taste of the lead. But Peralta was unshaken.
Two runs on two hits, one walk, he kept the damage to a minimum, resetting after each bump. Each time the Mets threatened, he answered with a strike, a grounder, a simple out. Six innings, four straight wins, he left the game with the Brewers in control, his composure setting the tone for everyone who followed.
Turang Lights the Fuse for Milwaukee’s Big Inning
Momentum in baseball doesn’t announce itself. It creeps into the conversation. A first-pitch double, a dugout leaning forward. Brice Turang was certainly the subject of that conversation when he opened the sixth by smoking a ball down the left-field line, stretching his hitting streak to 14 games.
That quick strike rattled the Mets’ bullpen, already looking for answers after Holmes struggled with control. The next hitter, Collins, sent a single to left, and Bauers followed with a walk after a pair of close takes. Suddenly, the bases were loaded, and the air in the ballpark shifted. Each at-bat was a brick in the wall; Ortiz’s grand slam was just the cherry on the cake.
Sal Frelick Changes the Atmosphere with One Swing
Some leadoff homers barely register, just a blip on the way to bigger things. Not this one. Frelick’s swing came early, but it changed everything. His sixth home run of the year (already a career best) meant Mets starter Clay Holmes was pitching from behind right away. For the Brewers, it meant confidence. For Holmes, it meant traffic.
The pitch count rose, the strike zone shrank, and every Brewers hitter that followed looked more relaxed. Frelick isn’t just a spark plug; he’s become a threat to drive the ball, and that threat echoes down the lineup.
Patience and Pressure: The Brewers’ Approach Pays Off
A five-run inning doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built one pitch at a time, by laying off balls in the dirt, by working counts, by forcing mistakes. Milwaukee’s sixth was a clinic. No one swung at pitcher’s pitches. No one tried to play hero ball. Bauers spat on breaking balls that barely missed, earning a walk that put Ortiz in the spotlight.
Collins, earlier, turned a tough at-bat into a line drive. Even after the fireworks, the Brewers kept grinding: Collins added a late homer and finished with four hits, a career-high. This wasn’t a lucky burst. It was the cumulative effect of discipline – and a team refusing to let an inning slip away.
Mets Squander Chances; Brewers Don’t Blink
The Mets made noise early, working Peralta into deep counts and capitalizing on a brief lapse for two runs. But the opportunity fizzled. After the third inning, New York’s offense went silent. Peralta, the bullpen, and some crisp defense closed every window.
When the Brewers loaded the bases in the fourth and failed to score, there was no panic – just a laser-like focus on the next shot. By contrast, the Mets’ bullpen cracked in the sixth, undone by patient hitters and relentless pressure. The difference was composure. Milwaukee handled setbacks like a veteran club, while the Mets let frustration seep in.
Eyes on the Prize: Streaky Brewers Heading into July
This win lifts Milwaukee into MLB National League’s top wild-card spot, but standings only tell part of the story. What matters more is how this team won. Ortiz turned a nightmare into a signature moment. Peralta steered through trouble without blinking.
Turang and Frelick kept raising their ceilings. The dugout stayed loud, engaged, and loose, exactly what you want with the All-Star break approaching.
The schedule doesn’t get easier, but the Brewers have found a formula: patient, disciplined offense; a starter who can take a punch and a bullpen ready to hold a lead. The coming series will demand more of the same. But for now, they’ve proven they can flip the script, one big swing at a time.
Main photo credit: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images
