Mets Blow Early Lead, Lose to Brewers

Jenrry Mejia last started a game for the Mets on September 15, 2010. Exactly two years later he took the mound hoping to prove that he belongs in the starting rotation in 2013 and beyond. He didn’t make much of a case.

The Mets scored in the first inning for the second straight game. Daniel Murphy singled, Ike Davis walked and Lucas Duda singled to right to score Murphy.

But Mejia gave the run back to the Brewers in the bottom of the inning. He walked Rickie Weeks and then Ryan Braun doubled him home to tie the score at one.

The Mets took the lead in the fourth. Jordany Valdespin singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third. After Andres Torres walked, Valdespin scored on a suicide squeeze by Mejia to make it 2-1. They extended the lead to 3-1 when Torres came around to score on a Ruben Tejada single. Tejada advanced to second on the throw home. Murphy then doubled to left to plate Tejada to make it 4-1.

But Mejia gave the lead right back again in the bottom of the fourth. He walked Nyjer Morgan to lead off the inning, then Jean Segura bunted for a single. Logan Schafer smashed a pinch hit triple to cut the lead to 4-3. He walked Norichika Aoki, and that was all for Mejia. Jeremy Hefner got the call and he faced a tough task — runners on first and third and no outs. Hefner was not up to it. He quickly threw a pitch in the dirt that got past Kelly Shoppach, allowing Schafer to score the tying run. Weeks then hit an absolute bomb into the seats in left that gave the Brewers a 6-4 lead.

Mejia ended up going just three innings, allowing five runs on six hits and five walks. He failed to strike out a batter.

Justin Hampson and Collin McHugh (is he no longer a starter?) combined to give up two more runs in the fifth to make it 8-4.

Davis added a long two-run home run to center in the ninth to cut the deficit to 9-6. Davis now has 27 home runs and 81 RBIs; the latter tied David Wright for the team lead.

Mets lose 9-6 in a nearly four hour game that somehow seemed even longer.