NEW YORK — Rhys Hoskins drove in four runs a day after his hard slide into Jeff McNeil emptied the dugouts and Yohan Ramirez was ejected for throwing behind the Milwaukee designated hitter in the Brewers' 7-6 win over New York. Met on Saturday.
Hoskins hit a two-run single in a three-run first inning, followed by a two-run homer in the third inning and a single in the fifth that scored Luis Severino (0-1). -High 12 hits in his Mets debut.
Ramirez's first pitch to Hoskins in the seventh traveled well behind the right-hander, who dropped his bat and glared at Ramirez as the reliever ran to pick up the ball. Ramirez was ejected by plate umpire Lance Barrett and given a standing ovation by the fans. Hoskins went up against George Lopez.
“I tried to tell the umpire that I was trying to throw my sinker and it still happened to go in, especially with the weather the way it was,” Ramirez said through his translator after the loss. “But they didn't really care what I was telling them. And they just did what they had to do there.”
After Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series on October 9, 2022, New York closer Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth in his first major league appearance. Diaz missed last season after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a win for Puerto. Rico in the World Baseball Classic.
New Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy improved to 2-0, while the Mets fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2014.
Brett Patty hit a three-run homer and Francisco Alvarez and Pete Alonso hit solo shots for the Mets, who trailed 7-2 in the eighth.
Hoskins fell hard on McNeil on a potential double-play ball in the eighth inning of the Brewers' 3-1 lead in Friday's opener. McNeil yelled at Hoskins, who rubbed his eyes as if to call McNeil a crybaby. On April 24, 2019, against Philadelphia, Hoskins hit a 34-second home run off Mets reliever Jacob Ram, one night after Ram threw two pitches over his head.
Hoskins screamed every time he went to the plate. His four RBIs are his most since September 23, 2022. He missed last year with a torn ACL in his left knee.
“He's one of our pillars,” Murphy said of Hoskins. “Rice is a special dude. Not only is he a good baseball player, but he's committed to playing the game the right way.”
Alonso's homer was the first allowed in 34 major league appearances by Abner Uribe, who for his second save hit T.J. Stewart and Starling defeated Marte.
Elvis Peguero (1-0) started the DL. Pitched two hitless innings in relief of Hall, who allowed two runs and six hits in four innings.
Severino made his Mets debut after eight seasons for the crosstown Yankees and allowed five runs in five innings.
“I competed there,” Severino said. “They hit a lot of base hits. And then Hoskins got me to homer, a breaking pitch up the middle. The breaking ball wasn't there today. I've got to keep doing that.”
Mets right-hander Tyler McGill faces Brewers right-hander Colin Rea in Sunday's series finale.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
