Starting pitching length continues to elude the Mets. Kodai Senga couldn’t even make it through five innings Friday night at American Family Field, running the Mets’ streak of games to 51 without having at least two starting pitchers throw six or more innings. Left-hander David Peterson is the only starter to have thrown six or more since early June. Every day is a bullpen day for the Mets, ...

Starling Marte of the New York Mets is tagged out at home plate by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras to end the game at American Family Field on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Milwaukee.

John Fisher/Getty Images North America/TNS

Starting pitching length continues to elude the Mets.

Kodai Senga couldn’t even make it through five innings Friday night at American Family Field, running the Mets’ streak of games to 51 without having at least two starting pitchers throw six or more innings. Left-hander David Peterson is the only starter to have thrown six or more since early June.

Every day is a bullpen day for the Mets, who lost 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of a three-game set. Marte hit a two-out double against Trevor Megill with two outs in the ninth, and he was thrown out at home trying to score on Jeff McNeil’s single. Blake Perkins, filling in for Jackson Chourio in center field, made a fantastic play to nab Marte at home.

It was the fifth straight loss for the Mets, but this one could have been a coin flip. One unearned run was the difference.

A botched play by Senga proved costly in the bottom of the fifth. Blake Perkins, leading off the inning with the Brewers down 2-0, chopped one high in front of the mound. Senga failed to field it cleanly, dropping it before he was able to throw to first base.

Brice Turang, who has killed the Mets since his rookie season in 2023, hit a two-run homer to tie the game on the very next pitch.

Senga got one out before loading the bases. Taking no chances, the Mets went to the bullpen for left-hander Brooks Raley, who hit Isaac Collins with a pitch to score a run. The Mets fell behind 3-2, with Senga (7-4) charged with three runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out only two and walked three, driving up his pitch count.

The right-hander threw only 79 pitches over 4 1/3 innings. It was quite the contrast from right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who also threw 79 pitches, but went seven innings in the win (4-0).

Juan Soto homered off Woodruff in the first inning to give the Mets an early lead. After a solo shot in the ninth inning to break up a no-hitter by Cleveland’s Gavin Williams on Wednesday, it was his second straight home run in as many at-bats, and his 27th of the season.

Marte hit his fifth of the season in the second inning, but Woodruff, Megill and right-hander Abner Uribe combined to hold the Mets hitless after the fourth inning until Marte hit a double with two outs in the ninth.

McNeil’s single was the Mets’ first hit with runners in scoring position in more than 20 innings, so you could hardly blame them for sending the speedy Marte on a shallow single to center. With the way the Mets are hitting, they need aggressiveness on the basepaths. Marte ran the bases about as well as any baserunner could, but Perkins made a textbook-perfect throw to catcher William Contreras in plenty of time to lay the tag down on Marte.

While Marte still has speed, it’s less than he had in his prime. Tyrone Taylor, one of the Mets’ fastest runners, was left on the bench.

Manager Carlos Mendoza challenged the play, but the call was upheld.

Pete Alonso, who is one home run away from tying Darryl Strawberry for the club’s all-time lead, went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. It was the Mets’ first trip to Milwaukee since knocking them out of the wild-card round in dramatic fashion last fall. It was a wild finish once again, but this time it went the way of the home team, which owns baseball’s best record at 71-44. The Mets are 63-53, now 3.0 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, sitting in third in the wild-card standings.