Joey Ortiz had a three-run homer, and Andrew Vaughn and Cooper Pratt added solo shots to pace the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the visiting New York Mets and former teammate Freddy Peralta on Monday in the opener of the three-game series.
Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski, who skipped his last start before the All-Star break due to arm fatigue, allowed one unearned run before exiting after four innings and 65 pitches. Two of the four hits allowed by the hard-throwing right-hander were infield singles. He struck out six and walked one.
The National League Central-leading Brewers, who have opened the second half with four consecutive victories, scored five runs in the first three innings off Peralta (5-9), traded to the Mets in the offseason after eight seasons in Milwaukee.
Jackson Chourio drew a one-out walk in the first and Brice Turang followed with an RBI double. Garrett Mitchell’s two-out single scored Chourio for a 2-0 lead.
Pratt made it 3-0 in the second with his first career home run, sending an 0-1 pitch 393 feet to left-center.
The Mets responded with an unearned run in the third. Francisco Alvarez singled to open, advanced to third on an error by Vaughn at first base, and came home on a double-play grounder by Juan Soto.
Vaughn answered in the bottom half with his third homer following a two-out double by Mitchell to extend the lead to 5-1.
Ortiz made it 8-1 in the sixth with his fifth home run. Jake Bauers walked with one out and Pratt singled, chasing Peralta. Xzavion Curry relieved and Ortiz sent an 0-1 curveball 373 feet to left.
Peralta, facing his former team for the first time, was tagged for seven runs on eights hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking two in a 107-pitch outing.
Craig Yoho (2-0) followed Misiorowski with one scoreless inning. Veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., acquired in a trade with Houston last week to bolster the Brewers injury-riddled staff, relieved and retired seven straight before allowing two runs in the eighth.
