Punchless Mets Fall To Brewers 4-2

David Wright, hit by a pitch Thursday, sat out with a sore right thumb

Norichika Aoki hit a leadoff homer, Khris Davis connected three batters later and Yovani Gallardo pitched the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-2 victory over the Mets Friday night.

Martin Maldonado also homered and Gallardo (12-10) went six innings to end his inconsistent season with a win. The right-hander, who won 33 games over the previous two years, finished 4-1 in eight starts since returning from a strained left hamstring.

The fourth-place Brewers are closing strong, too. They have won three straight and five of six, giving them nine victories in their last 10 road games against New York.

The punchless Mets played without All-Star third baseman David Wright, who sat out with a sore right thumb, and lost 4-2 to Milwaukee for the second consecutive night.

Jim Henderson pitched a perfect ninth for his 28th save in 32 tries.

Wright was sidelined one night after he was hit in the helmet by an 86 mph changeup. The Mets reiterated that Wright's head is fine — he said he passed all the concussion tests — but the medical staff recommended he rest his thumb for a day.

The star slugger jammed his thumb when he hit the dirt after he was plunked by a pitch from Johnny Hellweg.

All-Star center fielder Carlos Gomez was back in the Brewers' lineup after serving a one-game suspension Thursday night for touching off a bench-clearing fracas Wednesday in Atlanta when he admired his homer and yelled at Braves starter Paul Maholm.

Milwaukee third baseman Aramis Ramirez aggravated a left knee injury during the fray and has missed the last two games. Ramirez expected to take batting practice and could return this weekend, manager Ron Roenicke said.

Jean Segura sat out his ninth consecutive game because of a strained right hamstring, but Roenicke said the All-Star shortstop would probably be available off the bench and might start Saturday.

"The medical staff feels that he's 100 percent ready to go," Roenicke said. "They don't feel it's a risk."

Segura and Eric Young Jr. of the Mets are tied for the NL lead with 44 stolen bases.

"I think anytime you've got a chance to lead the league in something, it should be important. He works hard at it. We just have to be smart with what we do," Roenicke said.

Aoki sent the fourth pitch from Carlos Torres (4-6) to right field for his second career leadoff homer. Scooter Gennett struck out but reached on a wild pitch. One out later, Davis drove a hanging breaking ball to left for his 11th home run.

Davis grabbed at his left leg while trying to beat out a grounder in the eighth. He came out with a tight left hamstring and a strained right quadriceps. He was replaced in left field by Logan Schafer.

In the seventh, Maldonado homered off the facing of the second deck in left to make it 4-2. It was his first long ball since June 14 in Cincinnati.

Juan Lagares hit a sacrifice fly for the Mets in the second.

Justin Turner knocked in a run with an infield single in the sixth to cut it to 3-2. New York had the bases loaded with one out, but Gallardo struck out Lagares before Daniel Murphy tried to score from third on a pitch in the dirt.

Maldonado blocked the ball in front of him and scrambled back in time to tag Murphy, who tried to hurdle the catcher at home plate.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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