New York Mets at Milwaukee Brewers

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
NYM	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	4	13	0
MIL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0

Thornton (0-1, 1.93 ERA) took the ball trying to build on the best start of his rookie season — 7 shutout innings against the Red Sox on July 12. Sproat (3-4, 5.09 ERA) got the ball for Milwaukee in a fitting spot: his first look at the organization that drafted him before shipping him out in the Freddy Peralta trade, and he was coming off a 3-inning clunker against the Pirates. First pitch went off at 6:40 PM CT with the Brewers riding a 4-game winning streak and the Mets just trying to avoid getting swept out of town.

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FINAL

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ML

Total

Mets(42-59)

LWLWL

4

+1.5-156+127o8.5-106

Brewers(63-37)

WWWWL

0

-1.5+156-127u8.5+106

Best BetBrewers -148

Postgame

Missed — Sproat got rocked and the Brewers never got the offense going in a 4-0 shutout loss.

Pregame

We backed the Brewers at -141 off the strength of the NL's best record and a lineup that had been rolling. Milwaukee still has the far better roster top to bottom, but Sproat gave them nothing to work with in this one and the offense couldn't bail him out.

Milwaukee's rotation has taken some hits lately — Kyle Harrison and Brandon Woodruff are both out for a while, and Sal Frelick's been shelved too — but the lineup that's carried a 63-37 record didn't need much beyond Sproat holding the line. The Mets, meanwhile, are down Mark Vientos with a fractured hand and have half a pitching staff on the 60-day IL, so there wasn't much reason to expect this one to tilt New York's way. The Brewers opened as clear favorites on the market, which tracked with a team that had outscored its last 3 opponents by a combined 13 runs.

Zac Thornton

(2-2)·2.88 ERA

Jul 12 vs Red Sox

ND

7.0IP

0ER

5K

2BB

82P

07/21 Lineup

Brandon Sproat

(3-7)·5.27 ERA

Jul 11 @ Pirates

ND

3.0IP

2ER

3K

2BB

83P

07/21 Lineup

None of that mattered once the game started. Sproat couldn't find a rhythm, the Mets pieced together runs in the 2nd, 5th and 8th, and Thornton and the bullpen made it stand up. New York out-hit Milwaukee 13-4 and never let the Brewers' offense get anything going against a pitching staff that came in without much buzz.

It's a blip more than a crisis for Milwaukee — a 63-37 team with the injuries mostly confined to depth pieces isn't losing sleep over one shutout. But it's a real answer for a Mets team that's spent the year near the bottom of the NL East: Thornton looks like a keeper, and beating the best record in his league on the road is a nice line for his season.

New York Mets

(42-59)

Jul 20L@ Brewers3-8

Jul 19W@ Phillies6-1

Jul 18L@ Phillies1-6

Jul 16W@ Phillies4-1

Jul 12Lvs Red Sox2-3

Milwaukee Brewers

(63-37)

Jul 20Wvs Mets8-3

Jul 19Wvs Marlins3-1

Jul 18Wvs Marlins8-6

Jul 17Wvs Marlins2-1

Jul 12L@ Pirates5-14

The injury pictures on both sides are worth keeping an eye on the rest of the week — Milwaukee's rehab assignments for Hamilton and Harrison are underway, and the Mets are still waiting on Clay Holmes to get back on a mound at all.

New York Mets

(7)

• 10-Day-ILMark Vientos (1B) — Mets interim manager Andy Green said Thursday that Vientos has been diagnosed with a fractured right hand and will be placed on the 10-day injured list, Chelsea Janes of SNY.tv reports.07/10
• 15-Day-ILAustin Warren (RP) — An MRI on Warren's right forearm revealed no ligament damage Wednesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.07/09
• 60-Day-ILClay Holmes (SP) — Holmes (fibula) is tentatively scheduled to make his first minor-league rehab start Thursday, MLB.com reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILJustin Hagenman (RP) — The Mets announced June 1 that Hagenman (rib) has yet to resume a throwing program, MLB.com reports.07/13
• 60-Day-ILDedniel Nunez (RP) — Nunez (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie on Thursday, Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.06/25
• 60-Day-ILReed Garrett (RP) — The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILTylor Megill (SP) — The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/08

Milwaukee Brewers

(11)

• 10-Day-ILSal Frelick (RF) — no07/21
• 10-Day-ILDavid Hamilton (3B) — Hamilton (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/21
• 15-Day-ILJoel Kuhnel (RP) — Kuhnel (shoulder) is slated to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jack Stern of BrewerFanatic.com reports.07/21
• 15-Day-ILKyle Harrison (SP) — Harrison (elbow) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Saturday and begin a rehab assignment July 31, Hunter Baumgardt of Fox Sports 920 Milwaukee reports.07/21
• 15-Day-ILDL Hall (RP) — Hall (pectoral) struck out a batter and allowed one hit and no walks over a scoreless inning Sunday in a rehab start with High-A Wisconsin.07/20
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge (LF) — Manager Pat Murphy said that Lockridge (knee) is expected to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff (SP) — Woodruff announced Saturday that he will undergo season-ending capsule repair surgery on his right shoulder, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.07/18
• 60-Day-ILRob Zastryzny (RP) — The Brewers transferred Zastryzny (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.07/16
• 60-Day-ILBrian Fitzpatrick (RP) — Fitzpatrick (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery over the past week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/05
• 60-Day-ILQuinn Priester (SP) — Priester will undergo thoracic outlet compression surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined 8-to-10 months, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.06/18
• 60-Day-ILAngel Zerpa (RP) — The Brewers transferred Zerpa (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/31