NEW YORK (AP) — Christian Yelich homered, Freddy Peralta pitched six splendid innings and the Milwaukee Brewers threw a one-hitter to beat the New York Mets 3-1 in their contentious season opener Friday.
Tempers flared at Citi Field when Brewers newcomer Rhys Hoskins — a Mets nemesis during his days with the NL East rival Phillies — slid hard into second baseman Jeff McNeil on a potential double-play ball in the eighth.
McNeil was visibly angry at Hoskins, and both benches and bullpens emptied onto the field. There was no pushing and shoving as the teams stayed separated, but Hoskins rubbed his eyes as if to call McNeil a crybaby, and McNeil cursed at Hoskins from across the field.
Touted prospect Jackson Chourio had a terrific major league debut for the Brewers, getting his first hit and driving in a run. He also stole a base and left his feet for an important catch at the right-field wall.
Peralta (1-0) struck out eight and walked none in his first opening-day start, helping Pat Murphy to a victory in his debut as Milwaukee manager after he replaced Craig Counsell. The only hit the right-hander gave up was Starling Marte's one-out homer in the second.
Trevor Megill, the brother of Mets starting pitcher Tylor Megill, worked the seventh and Joel Payamps struck out two in a perfect eighth. With star closer Devin Williams injured, Abner Uribe threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his second big league save.
Mets starter Jose Quintana (0-1) was charged with two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings in an opener postponed a day because of rain.
Carlos Mendoza lost his first game as a big league manager after replacing Buck Showalter.
Yelich tied it with a leadoff homer in the fourth and finished with three hits. Chourio's first big league hit, a ground single to right field, sent Andruw Monasterio from first to third in the fifth and set up William Contreras' shallow sacrifice fly.
Pinch-hitter Jake Bauers doubled leading off the seventh, advanced on Brice Turang's bunt single and scored when Chourio grounded into a forceout. Chourio beat the relay to first, avoiding a double play to earn his first RBI.
