NEW YORK – Xavier Nady drove in three runs with a home run and a sacrifice fly and Carlos Delgado hit a three-run homer to help the New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-3.

David Wright, leading the National League in hitting with a .421 average coming into the game, had a single and double and scored twice for New York. The Mets improved to 9-2, their best start in franchise history. They also set a franchise record by winning their first four series of the season.

Geoff Jenkins had a two-run homer for the Brewers, who snapped New York’s seven-game winning streak with an 8-2 win Saturday.

Nady’s third home run of the season gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the second. He connected against Milwaukee starter Ben Sheets (0-1) following a leadoff single by Wright. Sheets was activated from the disabled list before the game and had not pitched since last Aug. 26 because of a right shoulder strain.

Delgado hit his fourth of the year following walks to Jose Reyes and Paul Lo Duca in the eighth inning to give the Mets a 7-3 lead. Victor Diaz added a two-run double to give the Mets a six-run lead.

The Brewers left eight runners on base in the first three innings against Brian Bannister (2-0), who was making his third major league start.

Bannister escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the first when he got Corey Koskie to bounce out. Then Milwaukee loaded the bases with none out in the second on a leadoff double by Bill Hall and walks to Prince Fielder and Damian Miller. But Bannister struck out Sheets and Gabe Gross and got J.J. Hardy on a fly ball to end the inning.

In the third, singles by Jenkins and Koskie and a walk to Hall loaded the bases again. Bannister then struck out Fielder and got Miller on a fly ball.

Milwaukee reached Bannister for a run in the fourth on a double by Gross, a wild pitch and an infield out. Jenkins followed with a two-out double but Carlos Lee flied out, ending the inning.

The Mets got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth when Wright opened with a double, moved to third on an infield out and scored on Nady’s fly ball.

Reyes singled with two out in the fifth, stole second and came home on Lo Duca’s second hit of the game, making it 4-1. Lo Duca stole second and went to third on a wild pitch but was stranded when Sheets finished his day by striking out Delgado.

With Bannister out of the game for a pinch-hitter, Darren Oliver relieved for the Mets in the sixth and was touched for a pinch single by Corey Hart. Oliver had Hart picked off first but Delgado threw the ball into left field for an error. Jenkins, who had three hits, followed with a two-run homer, cutting the Mets lead to 4-3.

Notes: Endy Chavez started in CF for the Mets replacing Carlos Beltran (tight right hamstring). Beltran hopes to return Monday against Atlanta. … Bannister threw 81 pitches in the first three innings and 112 for his five innings of work. … Sheets threw five innings, allowing four runs and six hits and throwing 96 pitches.

AP-ES-04-16-06 1627EDT

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