Yelich returns, helps Brewers edge Mets 3-2 for series sweep

MILWAUKEE — Christian Yelich homered in his return to the lineup and Zach Davies pitched into the eighth inning to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past the New York Mets 3-2 on Sunday for a sweep of their three-game series.

The teams were coming off an 18-inning game on Saturday night, the longest in Miller Park history, that lasted 5 hours, 22 minutes.

Yelich, the NL MVP, was back in the starting lineup after missing five consecutive games with low back soreness. He lined out as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning of Saturday’s marathon game.

Yelich hit a two-run, 440-foot homer off Jason Vargas (1-2) that caromed off the third deck in right and gave Milwaukee a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The Brewers had scored the game’s first run earlier in the inning on Lorenzo Cain‘s sacrifice fly.

With its bullpen depleted, the Brewers got a much-needed performance from Davies (4-0), who gave up six hits and two runs in 7 2/3 innings while throwing a season-high 118 pitches.

Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save.

The Mets got a run in the fifth on Tomas Nido‘s run-scoring single and added another in the seventh when Juan Lagares hit a two-out, solo home run off Davies.

Vargas gave up three hits and three runs in four innings but left for a pinch-hitter in the fifth after experiencing mild hamstring tightness.

ROSTER MOVES

Both teams made moves to replenish their bullpens. The Brewers selected RHP Burch Smith from Triple-A San Antonio and optioned RHP Taylor Williams, who pitched four innings and was the winning pitcher on Saturday, to San Antonio. The Brewers also designated RHP Jay Jackson for assignment.

The Mets optioned LHP Ryan O’Rourke and RHP Chris Flexen to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled RHP Tim Peterson and RHP Tyler Bashlor from there. Flexen took the loss in Saturday’s game after surrendering the game-winning hit to Ryan Braun in the 18th.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: INF Jed Lowrie, out since opening day with a left knee capsule strain, had one hit in four at-bats in a rehab assignment with Syracuse on Sunday.

Brewers: Cain left the game in the sixth after being hit on the left hand by a pitch from reliever Tim Peterson. Cain was diagnosed with a contusion. X-rays were negative. … RHP Jimmy Nelson, who has been out since having shoulder surgery in September 2017, pitched in a rehab outing at San Antonio on Sunday. He surrendered two runs and three hits in 3 1/3 innings with four walks and three strikeouts. … RHP Aaron Wilkerson (left foot injury) is expected to pitch in a rehab assignment for San Antonio on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (2-3, 3.82 ERA) will take the mound as New York opens a three-game series at San Diego. He’s 3-2 with a 1.66 ERA in six career starts versus the Padres.

Brewers: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-3, 5.24) will make his eighth start of the season as Milwaukee opens a three-game series at home against Washington. Chacin is 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 10 career starts against the Nationals.