Dillon Gee came so close to a personal “big goal” — 200 innings — but he fell one inning short when he came out for a pinch hitter after six innings for the Mets Thursday night.
“I’d be lying to say I wasn’t a little disappointed. I wanted it for sure. It was a big goal. It would have been a nice milestone to hit in my career,” said Gee, who suffered one bad inning and ended up losing, 4-2, to the Brewers at Citi Field. “Last year being hurt, I worked extremely hard to come back and make every start. To fall one inning short was tough.”
But if Gee, who threw 89 pitches, was disappointed, manager Terry Collins who went the required team over individual route, couldn’t have been more pleased with and happy for the right-hander’s overall body of work after an injury-riddled season last year.
“I knew going in because enough people telling me how many innings he needed to get to 200,” Collins said. “This guy pitched 110 innings last year before he had the injury. I know he was one inning short.’’
“I tried,” Gee said of his lobbying to remain in the game. “But you’ve got to respect his decision.”
Collins also said Gee “was in the conversation of not having a job in May, and what he has done since the Yankee game is truly amazing.”
What Gee (12-11) did was go 10-5 since that season-turning May 30 win over the Yankees.
“That’s where the turning point was. I found something I’m not sure what it was,” said Gee, who admitted Milwaukee’s four-run second inning “reminded me of the first two months.”
Milwaukee, playing without Carlos Gomez who was suspended one game for his role in the brawl in Atlanta Wednesday, bunched two walks and four hits — including two bloops and an RBI hit off Daniel Murphy’s glove. The killer was a hard-hit, two-run single by Scooter Gennett. The Mets got a third inning RBI groundout by Murphy plus a video-reviewed solo pinch-hit home run by Josh Satin in the ninth.
The Mets were 0-of-14 with runners in scoring position.
“We didn’t get him any runs to work with,” Collins said of Gee.
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Both Gee and David Wright, who was hit in the head with a pitch, tried to lobby Collins to stay in the game. Both failed.
“He said, ‘I’ll be OK. I’ll be OK.’ I said, ‘Great but you’re out of the game.’ That was pretty much it for the conversation,” Collins said of his chat with Wright.
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Mets leadoff man Eric Young took the green light all the way to a share of the National League lead in stolen bases.
Young joined injured Brewer Jean Segura (hamstring) atop the leader board with No. 44 in the third inning. On that play he continued to third on a throwing error and eventually scored. Young swiped No. 43 in the first inning.
“We’re playing to win, still. He’s got the green light,” Collins said. “This guy gets on, he has the option to run. He’s the one that knows what kind of jump he’s got, he’s a good base stealer.”
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Matt den Dekker started in center as Juan Lagares was given a break after his wife gave birth to a son, Juan Jr.
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Lucas Duda ended the game at 16-of-82 (.195) with 16 walks since returning Aug. 24 from his minor league stint. Duda called his season a “disappointment” but vowed it will drive him in the offseason.
“The season, it’s been a bit of a disappointment,” he said. “I got hurt [left intercostal strain]. I got sent down for a little bit so that was tough. It was a disappointing season but I know it’s going to fuel me in the off-season.
“As far as next year, who knows. I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’m just going to play hard today, tomorrow the next couple games.”
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Brewers starter Johnny Hellweg threw just 37 strikes among 80 pitches. For the season, he has walked 26 and struck out nine in 30 ²/₃ innings. After Hellweg hit Wright in the third, he also hit the next batter, Duda.