MLB Game Preview - Milwaukee at NY Mets

Sun Apr 28, 2019 1:10 PM EDT

Gio Gonzalez has plenty of experience on the mound at Citi Field and could have gained even more by signing with the New York Mets.

Instead, Gonzalez signed with the Brewers and will take the mound Sunday afternoon in New York when Milwaukee goes for the three-game sweep.

"The opportunity came where I had a chance to try to continue what I wanted to do as a starting pitcher and Milwaukee was always in my thoughts," Gonzalez said Saturday afternoon. "They met my expectations and that's what I wanted to do, was just try to pitch with them."

Gonzalez opted out of his minor league deal with the Yankees last week when it was apparent he would not be added to the major league roster. As he decided where to go next, Gonzalez opted for Milwaukee since it gave him more of an opportunity to start even though the Mets showed significant interest.

"The Mets were there," Gonzalez said. "They were great. They were not not in it. They were definitely in there. I think they have such a great rotation, great group of guys. It was a tough decision the Brewers came in and met my expectations, met my needs."

Gonzalez is starting his second stint with the Brewers, who acquired him from the Washington Nationals on Aug. 31. He was 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts last season for Milwaukee and also made two starts in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Gio's a pro, man," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's experienced. He is well-liked, for sure. It's comfortable for everybody. There's no get to know (him) process. He walked back in and it's the same. "

Before joining Milwaukee, Gonzalez often enjoyed strong outings against the Mets and especially in New York. In 26 career starts against the Mets the veteran left-hander is 15-6 with a 2.83 ERA and in 17 starts in New York, Gonzalez is 11-2 with a 1.75 ERA.

Gonzalez will be attempting to pitch the Brewers to their first sweep of the Mets in New York since 2011. The Brewers have outscored the Mets 18-8 in the first two games while getting big performances from Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas.

Yelich hit his 14th homer Saturday and is 5-for-8 in the series. Moustakas is 4-for-10 in the series while Cain is 5-for-10.

Yelich has three games to get his 15th homer, which would break a tie with Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) for the most homers before May 1.

The Mets are 4-8 in their last 12 games and are in danger of falling under .500 for the first time after dropping to 13-13. They staged a late comeback attempt Saturday when rookie Pete Alonso tied a team record by getting his ninth homer before May 1 but also committed two errors and were charged with three wild pitches.

"We're not worried about that," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said of his team falling to .500. "We just got to pitch better. Our hitters are keeping us in the games, trying to come back and we're not holding them.

Steven Matz will start for the Mets and owns a 2.59 ERA in his last 12 home starts. He last pitched Monday in a 5-1 win over the Phillies when he allowed one run on three hits in six innings, less than a week after not retiring a batter in Philadelphia.

Matz is 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four career starts against Milwaukee. His last outing against the Brewers was May 24, 2018, in Milwaukee when he allowed four hits in six innings of a 5-0 win.

--Field Level Media