Brewers loss to Mets highlights one trade they ought to regret

In the first inning of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series featuring the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets, it looked as if the Brewers were on their way to a blowout win on their home field. Not only did Freddy Peralta strike out two batters in a perfect frame, but Milwaukee took advantage of a couple of New York defensive miscues, scoring two runs.

Unfortunately for Milwaukee, things did not pan out as most might've expected after that first inning. The Mets immediately took a 3-2 lead in the second inning, and thanks to a five-run fifth, won the opener 8-4. The Brewers are now one loss away from yet another early exit.

Plenty of things went wrong for the Brewers in this game. Their lethal bullpen was not up to par. They failed to tack on much-needed insurance runs when they had Luis Severino on the ropes. They even had a key defensive gaffe in the middle of that five-run inning. The story of the game, though, was Peralta.

After a dominant first, his offense gave him two runs of support. He then proceeded to not only cough up the lead, but put the Brewers in a 3-2 hole. Yes, they'd score a couple of runs in the fourth to retake the lead, but their ace failing to record a key shutdown inning gave the Mets confidence that they never let go of.

Peralta would kick things into gear after the difficult second inning and even retired nine in a row before he was pulled from the game after just four frames. An argument can (and probably should) be made that he should've gone longer, but one thing from this start was abundantly clear. The Brewers miss Corbin Burnes.

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Brewers Game 1 loss gave them reason to regret Corbin Burnes trade

Why the Brewers traded Corbin Burnes this past offseason is abundantly clear. They didn't want to do it — no team wants to trade a pitcher of Burnes' caliber. They did it to ensure that they'd get a meaningful return for one of the best pitchers in the game. With Burnes a near lock to leave Milwaukee after the 2024 campaign in free agency, the Brewers wanted to make sure they'd get more than just a compensatory draft pick.

For much of the year, the deal looked quite good for both sides. Burnes was Burnes for Baltimore, but the Brewers did well too. Joey Ortiz looked like their shortstop of the future assuming Willy Adames departs in free agency, and while DL Hall missed most of the year on the IL, he's a left-hander with a lot of potential.

In Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, though, the Brewers clearly regret pulling off this deal to an extent. Not only did Peralta have a shaky outing, but Burnes dominated just hours earlier for Baltimore, delivering eight innings of one-run ball. Had Burnes done this for the Brewers, there's a good chance that they beat the Mets in Game 1 and find themselves in the enviable position of being one win away from advancing.

To make matters worse, Ortiz was 0-for-4, proving to be the only member of the Brewers starting lineup who failed to reach base in the defeat. Hall did not appear in this game.

Long-term, the deal still looks good for the Brewers. Ortiz had a rough day, but he's a really solid player. Hall can be good, too. There's a chance Burnes leaves Baltimore after the year, and he absolutely would've left Milwaukee had they retained him. Still, some Brewers fans have to wonder how Tuesday's game would've unfolded had they kept Burnes. There's every reason to believe things would've been different.