MILWAUKEE — So much for standing up and making a strong case for a National League wild-card spot.
The Mets still have a chance to play baseball in October, but a statement weekend turned what should have been a relatively easy path to the playoffs into a stressful struggle.
On Saturday night, the Mets meekly lost 6-0 to the Brewers in their third straight game at American Family Field, forcing them to return to Atlanta for Monday's make-up doubleheader.
The Mets had just two hits and looked little like the team that won three of four games against the Phillies at Citi Field to cap off their final homestand.
In the three games since then, the Mets have scored one run, four runs and zero points.
Atlanta, Arizona and the Mets all started the night tied for the final two wild-card spots in the National League.
Atlanta took a one-game lead with a walk-off win over Kansas City, and Arizona lost 5-0 to San Diego, but the Mets capped off a recent run of bad games with 11 strikeouts against five pitchers.
By winning the season series, the Mets have earned the tiebreaker with Arizona.
Jose Quintana pitched just 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs, two walks, and nine strikeouts.
The left-handed pitcher continued his scoreless streak to 25 innings, allowing the Brewers to score two runs in the fourth inning.
Pete Alonso reached second base on a Willie Adames throw error, but Tobias Myers retired Starling Marte, Luis Torrence, and Harrison Bader in quick succession.
The Mets didn't have a runner on base until Marte's leadoff double in the fifth inning.
Joey Ortiz's double in the fourth inning ended Quintana's scoreless streak and gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead.
Quintana walked Reece Hoskins and, with two outs, walked Isaac Collins to load the bases, then Ortiz hit a full-count curveball.
Quintana struck out Andrew Monasterio, leaving two runners stranded.
After Marte took the lead with a double in the first inning, he moved to third base with one out in the fifth inning, but Harrison Bader and Luis Angel Acuña were retired without scoring.
Acuña returned to the starting lineup after a one-day absence, and Francisco Lindor was brought in as the DH.
Lindor went 0-for-3 in his second game back after missing eight consecutive games due to lower back discomfort.
Quintana's night ended in the fifth inning when Jackson Chorio hit a leadoff double and advanced to third base on Garrett Mitchell's sacrifice bunt.
Phil Mayton came on and retired William Contreras for a score before striking out Adames.
Adames had an RBI single in the eighth inning against Reed Garrett after Garrett Mitchell had singled and doubled in the first inning.
Before Adames made the throw, Garrett walked Contreras. Garrett walked Ortiz, loaded the bases, and increased the Mets' lead to 4-0.
Monasterio added two more runs with a single against Danny Young.
The Brewers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the postseason, but they show no signs of slowing down after the first two games of this series.
The Mets fell to 0-5 this season against the Brewers, their potential opponent if they make it to the postseason.
