MILWAUKEE — Freddy Peralta’s Night on the Mound

Freddy Peralta received a warm welcome before his game on Monday night, and the cheers only intensified as he took the mound.

It wasn’t an easy night. The former Brewers ace was back in his roots, showcasing a rather challenging outing for him.

In this particular game, he allowed seven runs during the Mets’ 8-3 defeat at American Family Field.

Peralta pitched 5.1 innings, giving up eight hits and two walks, all contributing to his seven earned runs. This marked the fourth instance in his last eight games where he has allowed at least five earned runs.

This season, his ERA sits at 5.01.

“I just want to get through this,” he mentioned. “I still believe in myself. I know I can be better than this, and yes, sometimes it’s tough. But, as a player, you need to acknowledge the challenging moments you must work through. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last, but I don’t want to remain in this spot.”

Peralta’s performance is particularly concerning as the Mets’ season has taken a disappointing turn. With the trade deadline approaching on August 3, he might be viewed as less valuable.

His inconsistent outings are a setback for the Mets, who are trying to maximize their trade outcomes.

“He has some good stuff,” interim manager Andy Green noted. “We want him to keep pushing forward. That’s the key message here.”

Last offseason, the Mets traded away prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to bring Peralta and Tobias Myers on board.

Sproat, who has struggled this season with a 5.16 ERA, will be starting against his old team on Tuesday.

Peralta is not the only one in the Mets’ rotation facing challenges. Kodai Chiga has been moved to the bullpen after some tough outings, while Sean Manaea has had his own issues with consistency.

On a more positive note, Nolan McLean and Christian Scott have been strong contributors, and rookie Zach Thornton is showing potential as he prepares for his fourth major league start on Tuesday.

Peralta’s evening struggles began with an RBI double from Bryce Turan early in the game and an RBI single from Garrett Mitchell that put the Brewers ahead 2-0.

Things took a turn for the worse in the second inning when Cooper Pratt hit a solo home run, stretching the lead to 3-0.

Peralta threw a pitch that was too inviting, and Pratt made him pay by sending it over the center field fence.

The Mets conceded an unearned run against Jacob Misiorowski in the third inning. Francisco Alvarez managed a single, but Andrew Vaughn mishandled A.J. Ewing’s ground ball.

A double play by Juan Soto just didn’t bring back enough runs.

Despite having two outs in the third inning, Garrett Mitchell doubled, and Vaughn connected on a fastball, pushing the Brewers’ lead to 5-1.

“He’s always excelled in the upper part of the strike zone,” Green said regarding Peralta. “He was obviously trying to be aggressive up there, but he just couldn’t find the mark.”

Joey Ortiz then hit a three-run homer off relief pitcher Xavion Curry’s second pitch, extending the Mets’ deficit to 8-1.

Peralta was ejected later in the inning after allowing a walk to Jake Bowers and a single to Pratt.

Reflecting on his time in Milwaukee, Peralta said, “I’ve spent a lot of time here and it will always hold a special place in my heart. My kids were born here, so Milwaukee means a lot to me.”