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One year ago today, the Milwaukee Brewers sat in first place of the NL Central with a record of 41-35. They held a one game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals, and there was speculation that if the Brewers could add reigning AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, they could make a return trip to the postseason.

Fast forward to today.

The Brewers have a record of 34-42, and sit in third place of the NL Central, eight-and-a-half games behind first place Cincinnati. However, there is still talk that Lee could come to Milwaukee, but not in the same capacity most Brewer fans would like.

The Brewers scuffled their feet on a potential Lee trade last season, and the Phillies quickly acquired him and rode him all the way to the World Series. 

It’s no secret Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners are shopping Lee, and once a deal tickles Zduriencik’s fancy, Lee will be finding himself right in the middle of a playoff push. While the haul for Lee this year won’t nearly be what it was last year, the Mariners will likely still come out winners by trading the lefty.

Rumors have circulated recently that the Brewers, despite their poor start to this year, could acquire Lee. Two scenarios have been discussed to bring Lee back to the National League.

The first trade proposal has Corey Hart being sent to the Mariners for Lee. Hart has more than twice the home runs (17) of any player that has been on the Mariners roster all year. Recently acquired Russell Branyan has 10, but he only has 24 RBI compared to Hart’s 60.

Hart would fit in very nicely to the middle of the lineup, and he would be under team control through the 2011 season.

The other proposal would also send Lee to Milwaukee, but for Mat Gamel and one or two other prospects.

Gamel has returned from an injury in Spring Training and is hitting .281, with three home runs and 23 RBI in 40 games played this year. He was also coveted by Zduriencik last year for Jarrod Washburn, but Brewers GM Doug Melvin refused that offer.

Both scenarios would be tempting to each team, but neither would see Lee stay in Milwaukee very long. A third team could get involved for Lee’s services, and Milwaukee could immediately deal him for the young pitching Melvin so desperately desires. 

It would be a great coup to keep Lee in Milwaukee with a long-term deal, but that is highly unlikely, especially with Randy Wolf having signed a three-year deal this past winter.

If Melvin could find a taker for Wolf, it could happen, but few if any teams will be willing to take on Wolf’s two-plus years and over $20 million still remaining on his contract.

The best deal for the Brewers would be to trade Hart for Lee. Hart is having a career year, but he has a very streaky past. It would be smart on Melvin’s part to sell high on Hart and get Lee. The hard part is trying to find a team with good young pitching to deal for Lee.

In addition to finding a team with good young pitching, they will also have to be willing to give it up for just two months of service for Lee. The Giants could fit that billing, but they need hitting more than pitching.

The Braves also are in a similar position as the Giants, but they might be willing to make a deal and go for broke in Bobby Cox’s last season.

The Brewers missed their best chance for Lee by not acquiring him last season. Bringing him to Milwaukee now would be for nothing more than a cup of coffee to ship him right back out of town.

The team would be better off just trading Hart and other veterans for young pitching and let the contending teams fight over Lee.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here. 

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This is a breakout season for Milwaukee Brewers rightfielder Corey Hart.

He’s making amends for the bad first month of the 2010 season.

And, Hart is winning over the fans who thought he was too proud to take the club’s $4.2 million offer.

Hart turned it down and forced the Brewers to go to arbitration.

He didn’t even deserve that much because he was hurt last season, and his production declined.

Now, Hart looks like a genius, after not only winning a $4.8 million deal, but also staying hot at the plate.

Hart began the week hitting .272 with 18 home runs and 58 runs batted in.

He’s among the National League leaders in the home run category.

There are reasons why Hart is producing right now.

Hart hooked up with Roland Hernandez, a former wood scientist who worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and inventor of RockBat.

Hernandez is a wood expert who knows a thing or two about wood bats.

He convinced Hart and Fielder to use the new bats, which are made of sugar maple.

Once Hart started using the bat, his numbers jumped.

This season, he was in different spots of the lineup.  Now he bats second.

Hitters at the bottom of the lineup and leadoff hitter Rickie Weeks often get on base in scoring position, which leaves Hart with RBI opportunities.

Hart is 18-for-66 (.273) with runners in scoring position.

His 18 dingers scored 27 runs for the Brewers.

When Fielder, who bats third, gets to the plate, the bases are cleared.

Of his 15 home runs, 12 are solo shots.

Fielder is hitting .164 (12-73) with runners in scoring position.

That explains why Fielder has only 32 RBI’s and a .260 average.

He used to bat cleanup, but Ryan Braun hits behind Fielder.

Fielder uses the same bats as Hart.

Clearly, he’s frustrated from his lack of production at the plate.

The other thing that’s in the back of his mind, though he may deny it, is his status as a Brewer after this season.

Fielder, like Hart, are free agents after the 2011 season.

Hart wants to stay.  Fielder may be looking elsewhere.

Fielder’s agent, Scott Boras, shut down talks between himself and team management because he wants to play hardball.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin might wait until after the season to try to trade Fielder.

It would make him available to all teams.

He already DH’ed when the Brewers played at Anaheim in interleague play recently in an American League ballpark.

Does anybody need a designated hitter?

We have one ready to go after September.

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2010 has not gone at all like the Milwaukee Brewers and their fans were hoping for. Several offseason free agent pitching signings gave hope to a staff that ranked as one of the worst in baseball in 2009.

Unfortunately, the pitching has been only slightly better, and the Brewers are 33-40, only good enough for a distant third place in the NL Central.

On a positive note, the Brewers have won five in a row, and the starting pitching seems to be producing the way GM Doug Melvin had expected since being very active over the winter.

However, it still seems unlikely that the Brewers will seriously challenge for the division or even the wild card spot this season.

Although Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio recently told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he doesn’t anticipate being a seller at this year’s trade deadline, it is something that Attanasio, Melvin, and the rest of the Brewers brass needs to think long and hard about.

The most obvious trade candidates are first baseman Prince Fielder and outfielder Corey Hart. Each is under team control until after the 2011 season, but both could be traded to help the pitching staff even more.

While Fielder’s numbers are down this year, he has caught fire recently and seems to be on his way to another 30-plus home run season.

Most, including Melvin, feel that the best time to trade Fielder would be after this season, but that could all change if a team is willing to offer a good enough package in return.

Hart may be the most likely player to be traded before the July 31 deadline. After a year-and-a-half of sub-par play, Hart is having a career year in 2010.

He’s hitting .272, with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. Those numbers are already significantly better than the ones he posted in 2009. The Braves, Mariners, and Giants seem to be the most likely teams to acquire Hart. 

Rumors circulated earlier in the season that Melvin was already interested in shopping newly-signed Randy Wolf.

After a rough start, Wolf has pitched seven innings in his last two starts and seems to be coming into the form he showed with the Dodgers and Phillies.

Wolf signed a three-year, $29.75 million contract in the winter, so it’s hard to imagine a team willing to take on that much salary. The best Brewers fans can hope for is Wolf continues to pitch like he has recently, and Melvin may be able to find a taker in the offseason.

Trevor Hoffman is a very interesting case. The all-time saves leader is off to the worst start of his career. He has blown five save opportunities in 2010, already more than all of 2009. After being removed from the closer role, he has made six straight scoreless appearances. 

Hoffman is a free agent after this season, so a playoff contender could inquire about him if the price is right and he continues to record outs and not give up home runs.

The Brewers seem to have already moved on with John Axford. Any number of teams could deal for Hoffman, and after Hart, he seems the most likely player that could be dealt before the deadline. 

Dave Bush is a darkhorse to be sent packing by the Brewers. Doug Davis is close to returning from the disabled list, and Bush could be the odd man out.

Three of his last four starts have been quality starts, and he picked up his third win of the season Friday night against the Mariners.

Bush is a free agent at the end of the season, but he could become a valuable lower-rotation starter or long-man out of the bullpen for a contender. He has playoff experience, and he won the only game for the Brewers in the 2008 playoffs.

The Brewers could shock all of baseball and become buyers at the deadline, but they would have to catch a major hot streak, and that isn’t likely to happen. They seem destined to hover around .500 all season long. 

The Brewers still have 2011 in which they could seriously compete for the playoffs with Prince Fielder still on the team. Expect Fielder to finish 2010 with Milwaukee, but there are no guarantees for 2011.

The Brewers can start building towards a contender in 2011 by trading Hart and Hoffman. They may not be the most popular moves right now, but if it makes the Brewers a winner in 2011, it will be worth it.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here . 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Since the 2008 All-Star Game, no hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers has faced more scrutiny than outfielder Corey Hart.

Hart followed up a breakout 2007 season by winning the fans’ ballot to become the final member of the National League All-Star team in 2008. Then he was unable to throw out Justin Morneau at home plate and Hart’s downward spiral began.

Prior to the game, Hart was hitting .289 with 15 home runs. However, he finished the season hitting .268. He hit just five home runs in the final three months of the season, just as the Brewers made their playoff push in September. 

His struggles continued in 2009, a season that he hit just .260 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI in 115 games. Hart further distanced himself from Brewer fans by continually speaking out against his home crowd to the local media. 

The last straw for many fans came this past winter. Hart was given a substantial raise to $4.8 million for the 2010 season despite his previous struggles. However, Hart promised everyone he would prove his worth this season. To his credit, he has more than made up for the past season-and-a-half.

Hart leads the league in home runs (17), and he already has just one fewer RBI (47) than he had all of last year (48). He’s also only eight home runs away from a career high in the category. His power surge is surprising since he only hit three homers in the first six weeks of the season.

Not only has Hart worked his way back into the good graces of the fan base and management, he may be hitting his way right out of the organization.

Hart’s name has been linked recently to both the Mariners and Braves in possible trade scenarios. Each team, along with several others, is looking for a bat to bolster weak offenses. In exchange, Milwaukee would want pitching to bolster their rotation and bullpen, which have been mired in a season-long slump.

The most recent rumors have the Brewers and Mariners in discussions with a potential third team in a three-team deal that would see Hart sent to the Mariners for impending free agent pitcher Cliff Lee. The Brewers would then send Lee to a third team for young pitching that they could control for several years.

Although the idea of selling high on Hart is very tempting, management needs to resist the notion and keep Hart around as long as they can.

Prince Fielder will very likely be traded this coming winter. The Brewers will need to find a replacement for the slugging first baseman. Hart spent some time at first base in the minors and he could transition back to the infield with relative ease. Other options (Mat Gamel and Brett Lawrie) are both unproven prospects that the Brewers would be taking a giant risk on as they try to replace Fielder.

With Hart’s move to first base, the Brewers could field Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, and top prospect Lorenzo Cain in the outfield. The team would lose Hart’s power, but the overall team defense would improve greatly. Cain would immediately become one of the team’s top base stealers.

Hart is under one more season of team control before becoming a free agent after the 2011 season. He’s in line for another substantial raise after this season. This time it will be justified. Perhaps the Brewers could even sign him to a four or five-year contract extension this off-season. This would be a much better value than any contract Fielder would be seeking.

Hart’s name wasn’t on the All-Star ballot for the 2010 edition of the game, but could he come full circle and be named the winner of the fans’ choice for a second time?

Regardless of another possible appearance in the Midsummer Classic, Corey Hart, Brewer fans, and management are all thrilled with his stunning turnaround back into a legitimate power threat. Now the only thing that remains is just how long Hart will remain with the Brewers.

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here.  

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The Milwaukee Brewers are one of the toughest teams to figure out in the league. Some games they will have a mix of great pitching and hitting, other times they will have great hitting and terrible pitching, and for some games neither the hitting nor the pitching shows up.

Their record is 11-19 at home and 17-18 on the road. Why are the Brewers so much better on the road than at home?  They have played better at home as of late, but can anybody fathom how the Brewers lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates at home last month? They have now won two in a row and have taken a series from the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim, but nobody knows how the next week will go.

I think it’s safe to say that the Brewers will keep Corey Hart if he keeps his hitting up. Hart has almost carried the team at times and now has 17 homers, 47 RBIs, 30 runs, and is batting .263. I don’t think the Brewers will wave the red flag yet if they think they can get right back in it. Prince Fielder probably isn’t going anywhere this year either, and is now starting to heat up, with six homers in June.

Their pitching and hitting has been too inconsistent. It’s all about getting timely hits, which they have done the last two games, but they couldn’t get them on Saturday or Sunday. When the Brewers are patient and getting timely hits, they usually win the game, but when they don’t, they tend to struggle.

The best thing the Brewers have going for them is that the NL Central is wide open right now.  The Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals have failed so far to take advantage of the Brewers struggles. If they can string together a few more series wins then they can get right back in it.

The bottom line is that the Brewers have to improve their record at home. They used to be one of the toughest teams to beat at home, but for some reason they have struggled so much this year at Miller Park.

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If you are looking for Corey Hart’s name on the 2010 All-Star ballot, have fun trying, because you won’t find it.

That’s right, because the Milwaukee outfielder with 17 home runs, 41 RBI, and a .610 slugging pct. was not in the Opening Day starting lineup, he is not on the fan ballot for the All-Star game.

In just 53 games, Hart already has five more home runs and seven fewer RBI than his 2009 totals. His 17 long balls lead the National League by three over Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Mark Reynolds, and Dan Uggla.

Hart’s breakout season has not only resulted in runs, but has silenced his many critics. As recent as this offseason, fans and media alike were calling for his head and outraged when he won a $4.8 million salary in an arbitration case. Hart was not producing at all at the plate and was caught stealing six out of seventeen times. He was chasing deliberately thrown balls, resulting in 92 strikeouts in 115 games.

April was nothing special for Hart; he platooned with Jim Edmonds for the majority of the month. He hit three home runs and exited the month with a .798 OPS.

With some players, confidence comes before success, but for some, the antithesis is relevant. Corey Hart is a case of success before confidence.

This showed in May when Hart began to heat up. On May 15 and 16, he homered once in each game against Philadelphia, his first dingers of the month. The next night, he socked two against Cincinnati. That was just the beginning.

In 26 games, Hart is hitting .286 with an astounding 14 homers and 29 RBI. His OPS in that span is 1.134, up over .350 from the day before his binge began. Perhaps the highlights of his hot streak were during a weekend series against New York at the end of the month. Corey broke a 0-0 tie in a pitcher’s duel featuring Yovani Gallardo and Johan Santana with a walk-off two run blast. He followed that shot up with his first career grand slam in the first inning the next game and with a two run blast in his next at-bat for three homers in three at bats.

Add on to this Hart’s stellar play in the field. Throughout his streak, Corey has been all over right field making running grabs and playing with an extra step. He has only one error to date and four assists.

The confidence is definitely showing for the National League home run leader. Despite not being on the starter’s ballot for the All-Star Game, he is well on his way to his second career All-Star appearance. He just goes to show that you gotta’ have Hart.

The confidence is definitely showing in the NL home run leader.

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Corey Hart has always had potential and is a former All-Star. The 28-year old Milwaukee Brewers outfielder is having a career year so far with a league-leading 13 homers and 33 RBIs.

It’s clear that unless the Brewers get more starting pitching that they aren’t going anywhere this year. It brings up a great question that many baseball analysts have discussed: should the Brewers trade Corey Hart for a starting pitcher?

On one hand they might be able to land a top prospect pitcher or a capable pitcher that they could have in their rotation for years to come. It doesn’t look like a lot of big name hitters are going to be traded at this year’s trade deadline so Hart will definitely be a target for many teams in the playoff race.

On another hand who would fill Hart’s spot if he left? He’s only 28 and is just now entering his prime. It could be a big mistake that could haunt them for years if he becomes consistent and hits close to 30 homers each year for the next four or five years.

It is a very good topic to discuss and they should at least take a look at what they could get for Hart. They already were discussing trading him to the Mets for John Maine this past off-season, so they could obviously get a lot more than Maine now that he’s producing big numbers.

Brewers G.M. Doug Melvin needs to look at his options here, because this is one of his worst pitching staffs in years. How much longer can Melvin keep throwing out pitchers that have barely any Major League experience? The bullpen is also a mess that he needs to clean up instead of throwing guys out there like Jeff Suppan, Marco Estrada and Manny Parra.

Hart may be their biggest trading chip since Carlos Lee. Their lineup would lose his power and his ability to come through in the clutch, but if he can land a decent starting pitcher then they have to deal him.

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If you’re going to bet on the World Cup , you have to keep your eyes open for surprises as you have only a month to watch. Fortunately, the MLB season is longer.

Over the first two months of the season, there have been a host of surprises on the diamond, and here is a list of the top five to raise eyebrows heading into June.

Jose Bautista, Toronto

Bautista had 13 homers in his first full year in Toronto last season (his career high is 16, set back in 2006 while with Pittsburgh).

Through 52 games, he has already equaled that, and he has locked down the right-field spot in the lineup.

It’s surprising that the Blue Jays are leading the majors in homers, but would you have bet that Bautista would lead the way (as well as in the majors)?  We don’t think so.

Ty Wigginton, Baltimore

Wigginton got into the lineup because of an injury to second baseman Brian Roberts, but the 32-year-old is making the most of his opportunity with 13 homers and 32 RBIs, along with a .288 average. 

Even when Roberts comes back, the Orioles are going to have to find a spot for Wigginton—their biggest power threat—and they need all the runs they can get.

Belmont Stakes betting players know all about riding a thoroughbred to the finish line, and that’s what the Orioles are looking to do with Wigginton. 

Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado

Jimenez has 27 wins over the last two seasons, but he’s been inconsistent. We don’t know if he’s going to keep up his current pace; however, to start the season Jimenez is 9-1 through his first 11 outings with a 0.88 ERA.

That’s right, a 0.88 ERA! 

He also threw a no-hitter down in Atlanta, and almost threw another against Houston recently. 

Jimenez is heading into the prime of his career, and he has to be the favorite to replace San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum as the Cy Young winner.

Corey Hart, Milwaukee

Who leads the Brewers in home runs, Prince Fielder or Ryan Braun?  If you bet on MLB odds and you said either, you’re wrong. It’s Hart, who has 13 dingers and 33 RBIs. 

He’s gotten hot recently with five homers in his last eight outings, and if Hart can continue this trend, that could open up more pitches for Braun and Fielder.

Jason Heyward, Atlanta

Some thought the Braves were rushing Heyward into the first team, but he went deep in his first MLB at-bat and it was on from there.

The 20-year-old prodigy has 10 homers and 38 RBIs with a .292 average—and he looks like he’s only getting more comfortable at the plate. 

The Rookie of the Year award should already have “Jason” inscribed on it, and he could be an online betting dark horse for MVP if the Braves make the playoffs. 

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Last week I told you it was time to add Buster Posey and Stephen Strasburg to your roster.

Less than a week later Posey collects three hits and three RBIs for the big league club in a 12-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

If you listened to The Hot 8 last week you already had Posey on your roster causing the rest of your league to search for him and witness that you indeed already had the coveted backstop.

That is what The Hot 8 is all about, being ahead of the curve and especially your league.

This week’s list is no different as I’ve got a few more players that will soon be household names and leave your fellow owners cursing your name.

Long Term Investments

Carlos Santana – Catcher – Indians 

As good of a hitter as Buster Posey is, Carlos Santana is probably a bit better.

His defense may not rival that of the Giants prospect but in fantasy baseball who cares about defense?

Santana can flat out hit and do so from both sides of the plate with plus power.

He has shown no ill effects from a broken bone in his hand that he suffered this winter and is hitting a robust .319/.448/.577 with 10 HR, 42 RBI, 32 runs, 10 doubles, and even 6 steals for AAA Columbus.

Perhaps even more impressive is that he has walked (37) more times than he’s struck out (32) this season.

Santana is ready and if you missed out on the Posey derby fear not.

This is your chance to make good on grabbing a very good hitting catcher right in time to make a run in your fantasy league.

Mike Stanton – OF – Marlins

Stanton has all of the skill and desire to be a superstar major league player.

He is tremendously athletic having been a three sport star in high school and highly recruited by former USC coach Pete Carrol as a wide receiver.

Stanton has been a man amongst boys while playing for AA Jacksonville this season.

He’s slugged 18 homers and drove in 47 runs already this season and is just biding time until the first week of June when the Marlins are likely to promote him south.

While Stanton’s power is well documented, his speed is usually underestimated.

Stanton will be a regular 20/20 player in a full major league season.

Corey Hart – OF – Brewers

Nobody is as hot right now as Milwaukee OF Corey Hart.

With 5 HR and 12 RBI in his last ten games, Hart is a welcome blessing for the suddenly hot Brewers.

Hart is another athletic outfielder who has good power but also can swipe a base here and there.

He’s a streaky player but also one that I believe will continue to have an impact in the Brewers lineup for the remainder of this season.

Quick Fixes

Seth Smith – OF – Rockies

The Rockies wealth of outfielders is nothing short of ridiculous.

This week the player with the highest upside, Dexter Fowler finds himself odd man out as Seth Smith has started earning more starts in left field.

Smith is one of those player who never stops hitting.

He produces while in the lineup, in platoon roles and off the bench as a pinch hitter.

He offers good power and run producing ability in a lineup full of on base percentage.

For as long as he’s seeing regular time in the Rockies lineup, Smith is worth occupying the fourth or fifth OF spot on your fantasy team.

John Axford – RHP – Brewers

Axford shot through the Brewers organizational ranks last season as he went from mediocre starter to a dominant relief pitcher in one season.

He is basically a two pitch pitcher with a fastball that clocks in around 95 MPH and a sharp breaking curve that he changes speed and plane on regularly.

Axford has assumed the role of closer for the Brewers and will hold this job until Trevor Hoffman is ready to give it another go.

While I would normally suggest staying away from any closer situation that may change again in the coming weeks, the Brewers are finally playing good ball and there is a real opportunity to collect saves here by picking up Axford.

Just know that whatever you get out of him in the next week or two it may not last if the aging Trevor Hoffman can regain prior form.

One Week Wonders

Gio Gonzalez – LHP – Athletics

Gonzalez is finally pitching like the guy we were promised a couple of years ago.

Much of the credit should go to the A’s coaching staff that have ironed out Gonzalez’s delivery and have gotten him to repeat it consistently.

This has allowed him to pound the strikezone more often and cut down dramatically on his free passes.

This week Gonzalez will take on John Lackey and the Red Sox in his first start and Nick Blackburn and the division leading Twins on his second.

Still, I expect good numbers to come out of these matchups and for Gonzalez to collect at least one win and plenty of strikeouts.

Hisanori Takahashi – LHP – Mets

Takahashi’s performance against two of the best hitting teams in baseball, the Yankees and the Phillies, has gotten the attention of the Mets coaching staff.

Jerry Manuel announced that Takahashi will remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future and that is good news for fantasy owners in need of a starting pitcher.

Takahashi is a two start pitcher this week drawing Kevin Correia and the Padres on Monday and Ricky Nolasco and the Marlins on Saturday.

Keep An Eye On

Michael Brantley – OF – Indians

With Grady Sizemore out for what could be the rest of the season, the Indians are in desperate need of some offense.

Brantley was demoted after just 32 AB’s this season but has caught fire for AAA Columbus of late.

He will definitely be recalled soon and should see plenty of AB’s this time around.

Brantley has very good discipline and patience at the plate and has always hit for a good batting average.

I fully expect this kid to develop some power somewhere along the line as he is a big athletic guy and should learn how to hammer pitches while in favorable counts.

Keep him on your watch lists for now but there should be some opportunity for Brantley in the near future.

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That is The Hot 8 for this week.  What do you guys think?  Agree?  Disagree?  Post your comments below or email me at thefantasyscout@gmail.com . 

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MILWAUKEE—The Mets took a huge risk throwing a pitcher whom hadn’t thrown more than 2.1 IP in a game this season. It came back to bite them and the way they had to use their bullpen.

Both pitching staffs had awful nights and it was a game that felt as if it lasted five-plus hours.

It started well for the Mets in the first inning when they took a 1-0 lead on a Reyes run. After Reyes walked to leadoff the game, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout, Jason Bay doubled him home.

Fernando Nieve though, didn’t have a great game or opening inning. In the first, after retiring the first two batters, it all caved in on him. He allowed a double and two walks, before giving up a grand slam to last night’s hero Corey Hart, as the Brewers took a 4-1 lead after one.

The Mets got a run back in the second on a Jose Reyes RBI single. The Brewers though would answer that in the second when George Kottaras hit a home run off Nieve, making it 5-2.

The Mets added another run in the third on a Rod Barajas groundout to shortstop, cutting the deficit to 5-3. The Mets would get burned by Corey Hart once again in the third, as Oliver Perez—relieving Nieve—gave up a two-run home run to him. After that at-bat, Hart had gone 3-for-3 with three home runs and eight RBI in his last three at-bats, starting with the walk-off home run last night. That gave the Brewers a 7-3 lead after three innings.

The Mets would get three back in the fourth on an Ike Davis three-run home run, breaking out of a mild slump, cutting the lead to 7-6 and officially making it a slugfest. A Ryan Braun double play produced a run for Milwaukee in their fourth, extending their lead to 8-6.

With that Brewers run, it became the first time in Mets history that the Mets were involved in a game, where both teams scored runs in each of the first four innings. The funny thing about it is, nobody scored another run for the rest of the game.

The Mets had an opportunity though in the next inning—the fifth—to score some runs, but Jason Bay grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning, as the Mets didn’t score.

Starting with that Jason Bay groundout, the Mets’ final 13 batters went down in order for the rest of the game against Brewers’ relievers Todd Coffey, Carlos Villanueva, and John Axford.

The Brewers would be held down over the final four innings by Mets’ relievers Elmer Dessens, Jenrry Mejia, and Ryota Igarashi.

So the Mets lose the game 8-6, along with losing another road series, meaning the Mets will enter June without a road series victory.

They also fall to four games out of first place with the Phillies 1-0 win over the Marlins. In that game, Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in Major League history, and it became the first time in Major League history that there have been two perfect games in the same season.

The Mets will try and avoid the sweep tomorrow with R.A. Dickey on the mound, opposing Mets killer Randy Wolf.

Series probable pitchers:
May 30
New York: R.A. Dickey (2010: 1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Milwaukee: Randy Wolf (2010: 4-4, 4.52 ERA)

Upcoming schedule:
New York Mets:
May 30 @ Milwaukee Brewers
May 31-June 2 @ San Diego Padres

Milwaukee Brewers:
May 30 vs. New York Mets
May 31-June 3 @ Florida Marlins

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