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Wright, Delgado help Mets cool off Brewers

May 12, 2007 - 3:53 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- With the stakes not nearly as high, the New York Mets finally had their way with Jeff Suppan at Shea Stadium.

David Wright and Carlos Delgado homered off Suppan in a four-run fourth inning and Jorge Sosa pitched 6 2/3 strong innings as the Mets edged the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4, in the opener of a three-game series Friday.

Damion Easley also homered for the Mets, who have won seven of their last nine games.

"We have a lot of weapons here," Delgado said.

Geoff Jenkins, Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy homered for the Brewers, who had their six-game winning streak halted. Milwaukee entered the game with the best record in baseball and began a stretch in which it will play 13 of its next 16 games on the road.

One reason for Milwaukee's strong start has been Suppan, who signed with the Brewers as a free agent over the winter. The righthander had won his previous five starts, posting a 2.06 ERA in that span.

Suppan was making his first appearance at Shea Stadium since Game Seven of the 2006 National League Championship Series, when he pitched seven strong innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals top the Mets, 3-1, and advance to the World Series.

Seven months later, Suppan (5-3) was not nearly as effective, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings. But Mets manager Willie Randolph still was impressed.

"He pretty much looked the same," Randolph said. "He knows how to pitch."

Suppan was booed each time he came to the plate, obviously by Mets fans with long memories.

"I heard a few of them. I know they have passionate fans here," Suppan said. "Tonight was the fourth inning. I got some pitches up, and they capitalized on the ones in the zone."

The more effective pitcher on Friday was Sosa (2-0), who won his second straight start since being called up from the minors to replace the injured Orlando Hernandez. Sosa allowed two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts.

"He challenged guys and went after them," Mets catcher Paul Lo Duca said. "He was throwing strikes."

Sosa allowed solo home runs by Jenkins in the fifth inning and Fielder in the sixth. He left after walking his second batter of the seventh with two outs. Pedro Feliciano relieved and struck out pinch hitter Corey Hart to end the inning.

Aaron Heilman allowed a two-run homer to Hardy in the eighth following a leadoff single by Rickie Weeks, drawing Milwaukee within a run. But Billy Wagner worked a perfect ninth to notch his ninth save in as many chances.

Wright led off the decisive fourth inning with a towering home run to left-center field. "Suppan still had that good stuff, but we waited for him to make a mistake," Wright said. "We controlled most of the game."

Carlos Beltran followed with an infield single, and Delgado sliced a pitch over the left field wall for his third homer of the season, increasing New York's lead to 3-0.

Delgado had just six hits in 30 career at-bats against Suppan before the home run.

"They've got some guys over there who can bash the ball," Brewers manager Ned Yost said.

Moises Alou doubled off the center field wall and later scored on a one-out single by Lo Duca to cap the outburst.

Easley hit his fourth homer of the season in the seventh against Carlos Villanueva. Six of his 11 hits this season have been for extra bases.