MILWAUKEE — Carlos Carrasco’s changeup was lacking Tuesday, throwing him for a curve.
“My changeup was really good last game and today I was trying to find the right one,” the Mets right-hander said after his team’s 7-5 victory over the Brewers. “I threw a couple, but more bad. I think it’s something I can take into the next game and learn from there and I can’t wait to pitch in the next game and just bring everything I have been doing all year.”
Carrasco lasted just four innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks, departing after 90 pitches. Carrasco said he felt fatigued — perhaps the result of throwing 104 pitches in his start against the Pirates last week — in his final two innings of work.
Buck Showalter considered removing Carrasco after the third, but sent him back to the mound for the fourth and got rewarded with a perfect inning. The Brewers struck for three runs against Carrasco in the secondon four hits and a walk.
“He had so many pitches in three innings and I talked to him and I am not going to say he talked me into it, but out of respect to him, he said he felt good and thought he could go out there and get a clean inning for us,” Showalter said.
Trevor Williams, Joely Rodriguez, Trevor May, Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz pitched the final five innings. Williams and Ottavino each surrendered a run. Diaz recorded the final four outs for the save.
An additional piece to the bullpen puzzle returned Tuesday, as the Mets continued to stockpile high-upside arms for the final 13 games of the regular season and beyond.
Drew Smith was activated from the injured list before the Mets faced the Brewers.
The Mets placed veteran Tommy Hunter on the IL with lower-back tightness to create roster space for Smith, who had been sidelined since late July with a lat strain. Smith’s addition occurred a day after Tylor Megill was reinstated from his rehab assignment and pitched the seventh inning against the Brewers, allowing a two-run homer in his relief debut for the Mets.
Left-hander David Peterson is also receiving a chance from the bullpen, creating a new look for a bullpen that entered play with a 3.57 ERA that ranked 10th in MLB.
Starling Marte is “improving a little each day,” according to Showalter, as he attempts to resume baseball activities following a non-displaced fracture in his middle finger. Tuesday marked two weeks since Marte was hit by a pitch in Pittsburgh and sustained the fracture.
“He still had some discomfort [Monday],” Showalter said. “But today is the two-week mark and that is when some of that is supposed to alleviate.”
Showalter indicated he was toying with the idea of giving one or two starters a day off for Wednesday’s series finale. The Mets have a scheduled off day Thursday that would effectively serve as a two-day hiatus for a player receiving a rest.