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 All three Mets' runs came off Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez
(4-4), who has 29 saves this season but a 4.50 ERA in six July
appearances. He allowed a leadoff double to third baseman Daniel
Murphy, who scored on a single by third baseman David Wright.
That brought up Duda, who smacked a first-pitch fastball to right
for his 17th of the year.
"They jumped me right away," Rodriguez said. "First-pitch double.
Wright put together a great at-bat. First-pitch homer and
first-pitch base hit right up the middle. They came out swinging.
Everything was up and out over the plate. Just bury it. There's
nothing much I can do about it."
With the lead in hand, Mets closer Jeurys Familia worked around a
leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy for his 14th save of
the season.
"We were sitting there in the eighth inning and talking about what a
tough loss it would've been, because if not for a miscommunication
in the first inning, that kid's pitching a no-hitter in the
(seventh) inning," Mets coach Terry Collins said. "Just an amazing,
great ninth inning. Of course, Murph gets it started. Huge win for
us."
 Milwaukee had taken the lead in the sixth inning when third baseman
Aramis Ramirez broke open a 0-0 game with an RBI fielder's choice.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez made it a 2-0 game in the seventh with
his 15th home run of the year, a two-out solo shot to right off Mets
left-hander Zack Wheeler.
After putting 23 runs on the scoreboard during a four-game winning
streak, the Brewers' offense got off to a slow start against Mets
left-hander Zack Wheeler, who went 6 2/3 innings and struck out nine
while allowing three hits and two walks.
Milwaukee put runners at first and second with nobody out in the
first inning, but Wheeler worked out of the jam and only allowed two
baserunners -- a fourth-inning hit batter and a fifth-inning error
by second baseman Daniel Murphy -- through the fifth.
"His breaking ball gave us a lot of trouble, his changeup gave us a
lot of trouble," Roenicke said. "And when you're having to cheat to
catch up to that fastball, it's tough to hit all those pitches."
Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo also worked out of his biggest
challenge when he gave up back-to-back singles to Murphy and third
baseman David Wight to open the fifth inning.
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Rodriguez's fourth blown save of the season spoiled a gem from
Gallardo, who carried a shutout into the eighth inning and held the
Mets to four hits while striking out four.
"He had good rhythm," Roenicke said. "That was really good to see
him throw like that."
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Brewers, who
remained three games ahead of Pittsburgh and St. Louis, both losers
Friday, in the NL Central.
"When you let your team and everybody down, it is frustrating,"
Rodriguez said. "Fortunately it is not my first rodeo. It's not my
first one and it won't be my last one. That's reality. I just have
to bounce back and make sure I'm ready tomorrow night."
New York won three of the last four.
NOTES: Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett was held out of the starting
lineup for a third straight game because of a sore right quad
muscle. Manager Ron Roenicke said the plan was to sit Gennett one
more game and return him to the starting lineup Sunday. ... Mets RHP
Daisuke Matsuzaka traveled back to New York on Friday to undergo an
MRI on his right elbow, which he said was bothering him on Friday
after giving up three runs on two homers in a 9-1 loss to the
Brewers. ... C Jonathan Lucroy appeared as a pinch-hitter in the
ninth inning and drew a leadoff walk, but was given a day off from
the starting lineup by Roenicke despite having hit three home runs
in as many games to snap out of a month-long slump. ... SS Ruben
Tejada returned to the Mets' lineup Friday. He sat out Thursday, a
day after he was hit on the head by a Taijuan Walker fastball in
Seattle.
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