Joe Totoraitis | Special to ESPNNewYork.com 10y

Gee's slump continues, vows to snap back

MILWAUKEE -- Two poor starts aren’t enough to rattle Dillon Gee. Even the 9-1 thrashing the Milwaukee Brewers put on the New York Mets on Thursday night isn’t enough to shake his confidence.

For the second consecutive start, Gee struggled through five innings before leaving the game. The home run ball hurt him again. He gave up two in a loss to San Diego on July 19 in his previous start, and then the Brewers pounded out three more, including one against the right-hander.

“There’s no excuses,” Gee said. “There’s no excuse for me. It’s not that perplexing either. The ball’s just not coming out right the last couple of starts. I’ve been in this situation before. I’ve had bad starts before. I’m probably going to have some more sometime else in my career. The key is just try to bounce back as fast as you can.”

Before taking on the Padres, Gee had allowed three or fewer runs in six straight starts. But all that changed, starting with the road loss at San Diego, where he surrendered four runs in the 6-0 loss. Against the Brewers, it was even worse when he was charged with six runs.

“You just have those nights sometimes where definitely it just isn’t your day to be out there, I guess,” he said. “I’m confident I’ll get it turned around and get back out there and keep us in the ballgame.”

Asked if he was hurt, Gee said that he wasn’t.

“I’m healthy,” he said. “It’s nothing new. I’ve been there before.”

Mets manager Terry Collins didn’t think Gee was hurt, either.

“If there’s something bothering him, he’d say something,” Collins said, noting that his 27-year-old right-hander wouldn't pitch in pain and risk ending a career that’s barely three seasons old. “He’s got a long way to go. So I don’t think it’s health.”

Jonathan Lucroy hit a home run off Gee and then the Brewers did the rest of their damage against him with run-producing singles, doubles and a triple by Jean Segura. The home run by Lucroy was Gee’s first to a right-handed hitter since allowing one to the Angels Mike Trout on April 11.

When it looked like Gee wouldn’t get out of the third, the Mets' bullpen went to work. But the righty retired the final two batters in the inning after a RBI double by Davis, and the pen was quiet.

“The only reason I left him in there was he needs the work,” Collins said. “He needs to be out there pitching. He needs the work. We know Dillon’s better than that. He knows he’s better than that.”

What does he need to turn things around besides a lot of confidence in himself?

“We just got to get him a really good side, get him some extra work,” Collins said.

This was Gee’s third start since coming off the disabled list with a strained right lat. He won his first start over Atlanta, 4-1, but has lost the past two.

“Just keep working hard, and go for it,” Gee said. “It was just a weird night.”

Reliever Daisuke Matsuzaka served home run balls to Khris Davis (solo shot) and Ryan Braun (two-run).

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