Luis Severino out for Brewers redemption in Game 1 start after Mets avoid worst-case scenario

ATLANTA — Luis Severino is thrilled he didn’t have to pitch Monday.

“That would have been bad for us,” Severino said. “I wouldn’t say that was the worst-case scenario for us, there wasn’t a doubt we were going to go out there and compete and win the second game, but it would have been tough not to know who was going to pitch those [playoff games].”

The right-hander was slotted as the Mets starter for the nightcap of a doubleheader against the Braves.

But once his team won the first game, 8-7, to clinch a postseason berth, he was allowed to start concentrating on pitching Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series.

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Though manager Carlos Mendoza hasn’t announced a rotation to face the Brewers, he will have Severino on full rest and can start Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana behind him (both also on normal rest).

A workhorse this season, Severino, 30, has started 31 games and pitched to a 3.91 ERA over 182 innings.

It was money well-spent by the Mets, who signed Severino to a one-year deal worth $13 million last winter.

Severino last faced the Brewers on the opening weekend of the season at Citi Field in his first start wearing a Mets uniform.

“That probably was not my best stuff,” Severino said of the five-inning performance in which he allowed six runs (three of which were unearned). “My sweeper was not my sweeper, there was a lot of missed pitches out there.”

Severino allowed a two-run homer to Mets nemesis Rhys Hoskins in that start.

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“I will try my best not to let that happen again,” Severino said.

It will be the 11th career postseason start for Severino, who went 1-4 with a 5.15 ERA over 10 postseason series with the Yankees.

His last playoff start came against the Astros in the 2022 ALCS, in which he allowed three earned runs over 5 ¹/₃ innings in a loss.

What does it mean to Severino to get the ball for Game 1?

“It means that I have been healthy all year and healthy to compete in the playoffs,” Severino said. “Hopefully to give this team a chance to win and face whatever team is next.”