AP Photo/Morry Gash

New York Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday, July 1, 2009, in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, WI – Yovani Gallardo’s (8-5) brilliant outing was all for naught, as the Brewers fell to the Mets, 1-0.  Gallardo worked 7.0 masterful innings, allowing just five hits and walking two Mets batters, while striking out 12, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough, as the Brewers were victimized by tough luck, and an equally good outing by Mike Pelfrey (6-3) all day.

JJ Hardy lead off the Brewers’ fourth with a single to left, followed by Ryan Braun’s single to shallow center.  Prince Fielder then got under a Pelfrey offering, just missing a homerun and flying out to deep right field, advancing Hardy to third in the process.  With one out and runners on the corners, Corey Hart promptly ended the threat by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play. 

The Brewers would have more chances though, with Craig Counsell on second, and two outs in the sixth, Ryan Braun drilled a line drive to right-center field, but Fernando Martinez tracked it down and made a run saving grab, keeping the Brewers off the board.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the day though, came in the very next frame.  Prince Fielder led things off by singling to left-field, and immediately advanced to second base on a balk by Pelfrey.

“I just thought that you could step off, I just thought that you could, but I guess you have to step straight back, and stepped a little to the side and he called a balk.”

With Fielder in scoring position and no one out, business appeared to be picking up for the Brewers, but that would soon end.

Corey Hart’s attempts to bunt Fielder over to third were unsuccessful, as he pushed one foul down the third base line, and missed an attempt completely, with Fielder anticipating a bunt, he was caught too far off the bag and gunned down by Mets catcher Brian Schneider.  Hart would then ground out, and Mat Gamel would strike out to end a potentially big inning, without any causing any damage.

Not necessarily known for being a fan of bunting, the move to have Hart attempt a bunt was a bit curious initially.  When asked after the game if what happened was why he doesn’t like bunting, Macha frankly stated “that may have something to do with it, yeah.”

The Brewers would have one more chance, in the eighth, when pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto sent a two-out single to left, and Craig Counsell walked.  JJ Hardy ended the rally by bouncing out to David Wright at third, letting the Mets off the hook for the third consecutive inning.

As has been the case most of the season, the Brewers offensive woes today were partially caused by a non-existent bottom of the order.  The 5-through-8 hitters went a combined 1-for-13, the lone hit coming from Mat Gamel, and Jason Kendall providing the only walk.

Gallardo’s biggest issue today, aside from the lack of offensive support, was his pitch count.  Yovani tossed 114 pitches on the day, thanks in large part to the 12 strikeouts.  As Macha noted after the game, the one negative about strikeouts is that it drives up the pitcher’s pitch count.

“That it does (builds his pitch count).  I can’t even remember him throwing one changeup.”

The Mets’ lone run off Gallardo came in the sixth inning, when Luis Castillo lead off the inning  by sending a blooper down the left field line for a double.  Gallardo proceeded strike out the dangerous David Wright for the first out, before Ryan Church smacked a line-drive just past Craig Counsell’s diving reach, plating Castillo from second.

Gallardo recognized after the game, that it was just one of those games, where breaks don’t go your way.

“It was a tough loss for us.  I think I threw the ball pretty good out there, that one base hit up the middle got through, but it’s baseball.  I think I made a pretty good pitch, (it was) just out of the reach of Counsell, he dove for it and it was just able to get past him.”

Notes:

• Yovani Gallardo recorded his second career 10-strikeout game, with 12 strikeouts.  The first came April 29 vs Pitsburgh.
• Gallardo has now pitched 7.0 or more innings in each of his last three starts.
• Ryan Braun (2-for-4) extended his hitting streak to eight games.  Braun is now batting .438 (14-for-32, 1HR, 7RBI) during that streak.
• With the loss, the Brewers are now 3-2 in 1-0 games this season, Gallardo has pitched in four of the five games.
• This was the second time during the nine-game homestand that the Brewers were held scoreless.
• Mike Pelfrey’s seventh inning balk was his fifth of the season, leading the majors.
• Today was the Mets’ second 1-0 win over the Brewers this season (April 18).

Tomorrow:

The Brewers head to Chicago for a four game weekend set with the Cubs.  Seth McClung (3-1, 3.55) makes his second start of the season, facing Chicago’s Ryan Dempster (4-5, 4.09).  First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.