Mets  1    Brewers  0

New York Mets (37-39) at Milwaukee Brewers (42-35), 2:05 p.m.

Sports Network | July 1, 2009

(Sports Network) - Yovani Gallardo has been pitching well the last month for the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and will take the hill this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series versus the New York Mets at Miller Park.

Gallardo is 4-2 in his last six decisions and is coming off a strong outing his last time out in a 5-1 win over San Francisco on Friday. He allowed just one run and four hits over 7 2/3 innings, with nine strikeouts and three walks. Gallardo has allowed no more than three runs in each of his last seven trips to the hill.

The right-hander, who is 4-2 in seven home starts this season, will face the Mets for the second time in his career on Wednesday. Gallardo had a no- decision against New York on April 18 at Citi Field despite throwing six shutout innings that day.

Gallardo will try to push Milwaukee to a three-game sweep of the Mets. After recording a 10-6 win in Monday's series opener, the Brewers handed the Mets a 6-3 setback last night behind a big night from Ryan Braun, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Prince Fielder belted his 20th home run of the season and Corey Hart ended with three hits and two runs scored for Milwaukee, which has won four of its last five contests and is two games ahead of rival St. Louis in the division.

Brewers starter Mike Burns outdueled Mets ace Johan Santana by holding the opposition to a pair of runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk in 6 2/3 innings for his first big-league victory as a starter.

"Burns was pretty good tonight," said Brewers manager Ken Macha. "Walked the first hitter, but no more walks after that."

New York has dropped a season-high five straight games, but is still just three games off the lead in the NL East standings.

"Losing is troubling to me, and I understand, I've been in it long enough to know some of the things that go with that," Mets skipper Jerry Manuel said on the team's Web site. "That keeps you staying down that particular road, and I'm trying to get us off that road."

Santana, who had a big throwing error late in the game, continued his recent struggles by yielding six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits over six innings of work.

David Wright ended 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and Fernando Martinez hit his first home run for the Mets, who are now two games under .500 and are trying to avoid back-to-back three-game sweeps. They lost all three matchups with the rival Yankees over the weekend.

The Mets also had a team meeting for about 20 minutes after the game to discuss the negativity that has plagued the squad.

"I thought there were some things that happened tonight, [and] I just don't want us to feel sorry for ourselves, that's the bottom line," Manuel said on the team's Web site about the discussion. "It's hard not to because of the losses, that's what we're based on, wins and loses -- so when you lose as many as we have in a row and have a tough month, you have to check that negativity at the door."

Mike Pelfrey gets the nod for the Mets today and is only 1-3 in his past nine starts. Pelfrey last took the mound in a 9-1 setback on Friday versus the New York Yankees, as he gave up four runs -- two earned -- and six hits over five innings of work.

The righty fell to 5-3 in 14 starts this season, but actually lowered his earned run average from 4.74 to 4.67.

Pelfrey, who is 3-2 in six road starts this season, will try to earn a measure of revenge against the Brewers. In a 12-3 Milwaukee victory over New York on May 12, 2007, Pelfrey was reached for four runs and eight hits over five frames.

New York took two of three meetings versus Milwaukee from April 17-19 at Citi Field and has won eight of the past 13 matchups between the teams.