Miller Park has been friendly to slugging Brewers

When Eric Thames squeezed the ball at first base for the final out last Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers clinched an 8-6 victory — and their first series win at Citi Field since 2014.

Things haven’t come easy on the road in New York recently, but at home, Milwaukee hasn’t had much trouble handling the Mets.

Since June 11, 2016, the Brewers have won eight of nine matchups against the Mets at Miller Park, averaging 7.8 runs per game. Milwaukee has mashed 17 homers and logged a team batting average of .321 in those contests.

These Brewers love hitting at Miller Park — not just against the Mets.

Milwaukee boasts MLB’s top slugging percentage at home (.503), which is 117 points higher than its slugging percentage on the road (.386).

Reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich has been a big contributor to those numbers. The outfielder has an absurd .417/.540/1.271 slash line and has clobbered 13 of his 14 homers at Miller Park. Yelich has been held out of Milwaukee’s last four games with lower back issues and isn’t in the lineup Friday, but he’s expected to see the field again at some point this weekend.

The Brewers and Mets begin their three-game set Friday night when Milwaukee sends Brandon Woodruff to the mound and New York counters with Steven Matz.

NOTABLE

— Expect a lot of runs early. Milwaukee has scored 71 runs in the first three innings, which ranks first in the NL, while the Mets have allowed a league-high 71 runs in the opening three frames.

— The Mets’ pitching staff has recorded 18 games with 10+ strikeouts this season, which ranks third in the big leagues.

— Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal hit just .206/.344/.283 against left-handed pitchers last season, but he’s logged a .370/.452/.667 slash line against lefties in 2019.

— Milwaukee slugger Jesus Aguilar was known for his success down in the count last year, as he hit 17 homers with two strikes, but the torch has been passed on to Mets utility man Jeff McNeil in 2019. McNeil owns a .342 batting average with two strikes this season, the second-best mark in the National League.

— Three Mets pitchers throw the fastest three sliders in the NL: Jacob deGrom (92.6 miles per hour), Zack Wheeler (91.8) and Noah Syndergaard (88.8).

Statistics courtesy Sportradar, baseball-reference.com