New York left-hander Johan Santana and Milwaukee right-hander Yovani Gallardo engaged in an old-fashioned pitching duel at Citi Field. Santana blanked the Brewers on five hits for seven innings and Gallardo stymied the Mets on five hits for six innings.

TURNING POINT

You can't make mistakes in a 0-0 game in the late innings. The Brewers made two to open the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Carlos Villanueva walked No. 8 hitter Ramon Castro to open the inning. Second baseman Rickie Weeks then dropped Prince Fielder's throw, covering first on Alex Cora's bunt. The Mets went on to score the only run of the game.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

* With the defense shifted to the left against the pull-hitting Gary Sheffield in the fourth, Sheffield lifted a pop fly behind first base. Prince Fielder ranged far down the line to make an over-the-shoulder grab and rob Sheffield of a hit.

* Gallardo was robbed of a hit on a diving stab by Mets third baseman David Wright in the third inning. Gallardo did collect a hit in his next at-bat, dumping a single into center off Santana.

* Casey McGehee entered the game at third base in the bottom of the seventh inning in a double-switch that put Villanueva in the game. When the Mets replaced Santana with right-hander J.J. Putz to start the eighth, Brewers manager Ken Macha sent left-handed-hitting Craig Counsell to hit for McGehee.

CLUBHOUSE CONFIDENTIAL

Macha was asked how he's handling the fact that his pitchers already have issued six bases-loaded walks. "A couple more gray hairs," he said. Macha was not pleased with the way Dave Bush went after weak-hitting Ramon Castro before walking him with the bases full Friday night in the first inning. "Too many breaking balls," said Macha. "I would have liked to see him go right after that guy."

STATITUDES

* Santana no longer is pitching at Shea Stadium but he still loves home cooking. In his last 10 starts at home, he is 7-0 with a 1.33 ERA. Over that span, he has allowed 58 hits and 18 walks in 74 1/3 innings while logging 62 strikeouts.

* Brewers starting pitchers have turned in four consecutive quality starts (at least six innings, no more than three runs) after posting only two in the first seven games.

* Saturday marked the first time the Brewers didn't use exactly three relief pitchers in a game.

RECORD

THIS YEAR: 3-8

LAST YEAR: 7-4

HOME: 2-4 (roof open, 0-0; roof closed, 2-4)

ROAD: 1-4

ON DECK

TEAMS: Brewers at Mets (6-5).

WHEN: 12:10 p.m.

WHERE: Citi Field, New York.

BROADCASTS: TV - FS Wisconsin. Radio - AM-620.

PROBABLE PITCHERS: Milwaukee RHP Jeff Suppan (0-2, 12.91) vs. New York RHP Nelson Figueroa (first start). Suppan is 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets. Mike Pelfrey was slated to start for the Mets but was scratched because of forearm tendinitis. Figueroa was summoned from the minors to start.

Tom Haudricourt

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