'We're both left-handed,' Davis notes

NEW YORK (AP) -- Doug Davis grinned at the comparison with Tom Glavine.

"Yeah, we're similar," he said. "We're both left-handed. He pitches away and never gives in. I pitch away. He's got a changeup and I've got a cut fastball."

And, oh yes, Glavine has 255 career victories and Davis has 30.

On Friday night, it hardly mattered. Davis and the Brewers handcuffed Glavine and the Mets, winning 7-5 in a game made close only by a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning by Joe McEwing.

By then, the Brewers had homers from Keith Ginter, Lyle Overbay and pinch-hitter Ben Grieve and Davis pitched into the seventh inning as Milwaukee ended the Mets' four-game winning streak.

It was just the second win in seven games for the Brewers but most satisfying for manager Ned Yost, particularly because of Davis (2-2), who came in with a 5.14 ERA compared to Glavine's 1.85.

"He was throwing strikes, changing speeds, hitting spots," Yost said. "It was a huge outing."

Yost a longtime coach in Atlanta before becoming the Brewers manager, watched Glavine during his best years with the Braves. He sees some of the crafty left-hander in Davis.

"It's a lot like Tommy," he said. "When Tommy's throwing good, there are not a lot of runners. He keeps hitters off balance."

Except for the third inning, Glavine did that Friday night. But Milwaukee ganged up on him for four runs and five hits in that inning with the homers by Ginter and Overbay highlighting the rally.

Manager Art Howe excused Glavine.

"He's human," Howe said. "He had the one bad inning."

"I was just having a bad time," said Glavine who began the game with a 1.85 ERA, third best in the National League. "I got us in a hole that was hard to get out of."

Armed with the 4-0 lead, Davis kept the Mets off the scoreboard until the sixth when they bunched four singles for two runs. But he retired Karim Garcia to end the rally.

"We were up 4-0 but I kept pitching like it was 0-0," Davis said. "Strike one was huge for me. They were taking the first pitch a lot and I was getting it over."

After the Mets nicked Davis for two runs in the sixth, the Brewers struck back in the seventh when Scott Podsednik opened with his second hit and stole second on a pitchout. It was his 16th consecutive steal this season and 17th over two seasons, matching the club record held by Hall of Famer Robin Yount.

Craig Counsell followed with his second hit and third baseman Ty Wigginton's throwing error on the play let Podsednik score.

Grieve hit his third home run of the season, and first-ever as a pinch-hitter, in the eighth. Overbay, who had three hit, added an RBI double in the ninth.

Davis allowed two runs on six hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 6 2-3 innings.

Glavine allowed six hits, five of them in the third inning, over six innings. He struck out four and walked three.

Podsednik opened the third with a single and the lefty-hitting Counsell, who came into the game batting .211 overall but .375 against left-handers, hit an RBI double.

Ginter followed with his sixth home run of the season for a 3-0 lead. One out later, Overbay hit his fourth.

It was a rough inning for Glavine, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first by retiring Brady Clark on a flyball.

Game notes
OF Shane Spencer was pulled from the Mets' lineup just before gametime because of back spasms. ... Mets CF Mike Cameron sat out his second straight game with a jammed finger. He injured the hand sliding home against the Giants on Wednesday when his finger caught in the catcher's shin guard. ... McEwing hit his first home run since last July 21. ... Overbay's home run stretched his hitting streak to nine games. He came into the game leading NL first basemen with 25 RBI. ... Garcia had his hitting streak ended at 10 games. ... Mets LHP Mike Stanton appeared in his 900th career game, becoming the 14th pitcher to reach that plateau.