Mark Vientos returned to the Mets lineup with regularity, delivering a hot bat as he went 3-for-7 with two homers across the last two games. Mendoza stressed that the club needs him, citing his power from last season and his role as a core contributor, even as the Mets juggle three other young infielders in and out for defense and matchup reasons.

Milwaukee roars back from a 5-0 hole to walk it off in New York, extending their streak to nine as Isaac Collins crushed a 2-2 Diaz fastball 363 feet to right for his eighth homer. The Brewers ripped off a late surge powered by Will Contreras, who went deep twice (his 12th and 13th on the season) to spark the rally, and Joey Ortiz capped the eighth with a two-out RBI single off Pete Alonso’s glove to tie the game. New York jumped ahead early, sending six across in the first five frames behind Soto, McNeil, Baty, and Mauricio, but Diaz coughed up the lead in the ninth as Collins delivered the walk-off with Zimmerman-like poise. The Mets’ slide stretched to seven, widening their gap in the NL East, while Milwaukee kept rolling on their magic run and climbed within striking distance of the division lead.

The Mets stacked early offense with three solo homers, led by Alonso’s milestone, as he tied the club’s all‑time mark with his franchise-record-tying 252nd homer. Soto kept his hot run going with his 28th of the season, part of a breakout stretch that included three straight games with a homer. Yet Milwaukee answered late. Frelick’s seventh-inning RBI groundout tied the game, then Collins knocked one off Mauricio’s glove to push the go-ahead run across, and Contreras finished it with a two‑run blast off Helsley for a 7‑4 win. The Mets’ six-game skid persists as the Brewers continue to pace the league. Montas worked three innings in a bullpen‑type outing, allowing three runs, one earned, before the late surge ended New York’s comeback hopes.