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Mets cool off Brewers; Sheets suffers groin injury

Sep 1, 2008 - 11:19 PM By J.R. Radcliffe PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The shadows at Miller Park have become notorious for distracting hitters. Good thing for the New York Mets that Eric Gagne avoided throwing anything with movement to the team's home run leader.

Carlos Delgado hit a two-run home run off Gagne in the eighth inning Monday, helping the Mets rally for a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets left after five innings with tightness in his left groin, and the erased a 2-0 deficit against the Brewers' bullpen.

After Delgado's homer gave the Mets a 3-2, Ryan Church added an RBI double off Gagne (4-3), who blew his sixth save of the year.

"These are probably the worst shadows that I've been involved with since I've been in professional baseball," said Delgado, referring to the light-and-dark streaks across the infield created by the stadium's upper-deck windows. "But it goes the same way for both teams. It was pretty tough, but we got it done. I didn't see any of his breaking stuff."

The Mets (77-61) have won 15 of 20 games and moved two games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies (75-63) , who lost to Washington, in the National League East.

The Brewers (80-57) failed to take advantage of Chicago's loss and remained 4 1/2 games in back of the Cubs (85-53) in the NL Central.

"It's a big win," Delgado said. "We talked about it before we left on the road that it would be an interesting couple of weeks. We battled back and got a huge win. Good teams do this.

"Ideally you want to be ahead, but if you're not, you've got to put together some good at-bats, get some base runners and come up with a big hit. It says a lot about the character and the will we have with this ballclub."

New York starter Johan Santana was again denied a victory, despite permitting just two runs in six innings. Like Sheets, Santana remained stuck on 12 wins.

Sheets has recorded either 11 or 12 wins in six of his first seven big-league seasons and will have to wait to break through in 2008. The righthander downplayed the severity of the groin injury, which he says bears little resemblance to a right groin injury last year. The righthander has dealt with issues in his ear, back, finger, hamstring and groin since 2004.

"I think it's going to be fine," Sheets said. "I don't think it's as bad as last year, and I thought I could make my next start last year. I really think I'm going to be all right. I'm just going to pay a little more attention to it and hopefully move forward."

Sheets needed just 54 pitches to make it through five, despite a decrease in velocity and "awful" stuff.

"That's what good location will do for you," Sheets said. "I think that might be the first time I didn't have a strikeout through five, but that's the way it goes. I got outs, I just didn't get enough outs."

New York came up short in the sixth and seventh despite golden opportunities against Milwaukee relievers. Milwaukee held a 2-0 lead until the seventh, when Carlos Beltran doubled and scored on Mitch Stetter's bases-loaded wild pitch, though Stetter retired Jose Reyes to prevent further damage.

Carlos Villanueva allowed runners at the corners with one out in the sixth before escaping unscathed.

Daniel Murphy doubled leading off the eighth against Gagne, who struck out David Wright before permitting the long fly by Delgado, his 31st of the year.

"He was trying to make an 0-2 pitch and he just didn't make it; he got too much of the plate," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "It wasn't a pitch he was trying to throw a strike on. He just didn't hit his spot."

It was still too late for Santana, who struck out 10 batters through six innings after giving up an RBI single to Ryan Braun in the first.

"They're an aggressive team," Santana said. "You have to show them you can throw the pitch and keep them off balance."

Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy hit a liner into the left-field corner that tailed off Murphy's glove in the first inning, good for Hardy's third triple in a week and setting up the RBI on the first of Braun's three hits.

Santana was called for a balk with runners on second and third in the sixth, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

But the Mets much-maligned bullpen did its job while setting the table for a comeback. Four relievers allowed just one of 10 batters faced to reach base, including Nelson Figueroa (3-3), who worked a clean seventh.

Luis Ayala pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

Beltran left the game in the ninth with a right knee contusion, meriting "day-to-day" status.