When the Mets take the field for Game 3 against the Brewers on Thursday, Jose Quintana will be on the American Family Field mound trying to lift the Metropolitans to an appearance in the NLDS.
It will be his fifth career postseason start and sixth career appearance in the playoffs overall, where he’s 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 18 ²/₃ innings.
“I’m really excited. I think it’s a privilege to get this opportunity,” Quintana said about starting Game 3 after the Mets lost 5-3 on Wednesday. “Pitching in the postseason one more time. This loss is [a] real tough [loss] for us, but we keep our heads up and tomorrow we’re back strong.”
Quintana last pitched in a postseason game in 2022 in the NL Wild Card Series when he was with the Cardinals.
He threw 5 ¹/₃ innings in Game 1 of that series against the Phillies, allowing two hits and no runs while striking out three batters.
Before that, his last appearances in the playoffs came back in 2017 while he was with the Cubs.
He started Game 3 of the NLDS — going five innings in what ended up as a Chicago win against the Nationals — and pitched two-third of an innings of relief in Game 5 of the series.
Quintana then made two more starts in that year’s playoff run, starting Game 1 and Game 5 against the Dodgers, the latter of which saw him yield six runs in two innings.
