Already trailing by a handful of runs, the Milwaukee Brewers lineup took a big hit in the sixth inning of a 5-1 loss to the Mets at Citi Field.
Centerfielder Carlos Gomez was at the plate with a runner on and no one out in the top of the sixth facing a 5-0 deficit when New York starter Noah Syndegaard threw a 96-mph fastball and struck Gomez in the left side of his head.
The pitch caught Gomez in the earflap of his helmet and send him face down into the dirt around home plate. Gomez would leave the game, doing so under his own power. He was diagnosed with a facial contusion, but did not sustain a concussion.
The Brewers (13-25) fell behind early when starter Wily Peralta allowed a leadoff home run to Curtis Granderson. New York (22-16) added another run in the third inning, and three more in the fourth, all off Peralta. The righthander was seeking a second win in his last three starts, but falls to 1-5.
Two batters after the hit-by-pitch of Gomez, Ryan Braun singled in Luis Sardinas for the lone Brewers run. For Braun, it was his team-leading 23rd RBI of the season.
Peralta finished with five earned runs on nine hits allowed with five strikeouts. It came one night after Matt Garza surrendered ten runs on ten hits in a 14-1 loss that saw the Mets tally ten runs in a single inning.
Syndegaard earned the win, the first of his career, as he made just the second start of his career.
Milwaukee continues a ten-game road trip with a three-game interleague series in Detroit starting Monday. Mike Fiers (1-4) throws opposite Kyle Lobstein (3-3) with first pitch at 6:08pm.
The Brewers have lost two straight and four of their last five. They are currently 5-10 on the road.