MILWAUKEE — Sean Manaea wasn't dominant. But he was better.
Manaea was better than his most recent start, also against the Brewers. He was much better in the postseason than he was in his first three career starts.
He was better than opposing starting pitcher Frankie Montas, and that seemed to be enough until the Brewers countered Phil Maton in the eighth inning.
Manaea played well on Wednesday, which was encouraging, but ultimately it wasn't enough as the Mets lost 5-3 in Game 2 against the Brewers at American Family Field. , only exploded once against Manaea.
Manaea's third pitch of the game, 0-2, was a sinker down the middle that 20-year-old genius Jackson Chorio hit into the right field seats.
The Brewers would only score one more time from Manaea, who bounced back from the bat, from a dud, and from a history of postseason duds.
The southpaw pitched five innings, giving up six hits and two runs, with four strikeouts, as the Mets led 3-2 and were on their way to their first postseason win.
Manaea was at his best with runners on base and made some tight throws, but it was a rebound he desperately needed.
In recent turns, Manaea was bullied by the Brewers as his arm slot was reduced and his performance skyrocketed. He allowed six runs in 3/3 innings, including a grand slam to Rhys Hoskins in the first that seemed to end the game.
Manaea's performance in the recent playoffs was even worse. He pitched three times in the postseason, twice with Oakland and once with the Padres, posting a 15.26 ERA.
The day before, Manaea said he just wanted to see his match as “just a match.” Although he didn't pitch like that, his ball velocity reflected the magnitude of the game.
Sinker, who averaged 92.3 mph this season, reached a top speed of 93.9 mph. His sweeper speed increased from 127.7 mph to 129 mph. He came out strong and it was a mostly solid start.
After Chowlio's home run, Manaea managed a strong Brewers lineup.
The only time he was touched again was in the fifth inning, when Bryce Turan sent a chopper down the third base line for a double. Turan advanced to third base on a groundout and Blake Perkins scored on a sac fly.
So much for Manaea, who gave way to a bullpen that was solid until Mutton went down in the eighth inning.
Maton tied the score with a well-timed solo hit by Chourio, and then gave pinch hitter Garrett Mitchell a two-run homer for the final lead.
