NEW YORK _ On the same day it was announced Robert Gsellman was probably headed to the bullpen in the near future, the right-hander carried the Mets both on the mound and at the plate Monday in a 4-2 win over the Brewers at Citi Field.
Gsellman (3-3, 5.75 ERA) contributed a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring walk _ good for a career-high two RBIs _ and pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, giving up two earned runs in his second consecutive strong start. He had five strikeouts with two walks. Perhaps most impressively, Gsellman, who was playing Nerf basketball in the clubhouse before his start, seemed completely unfazed by the news that had just come down from general manager Sandy Alderson: With the imminent return of Steven Matz and Seth Lugo from elbow injuries, it was likely Gsellman would be moved to the bullpen.
He had a starring role this Memorial Day, though.
The Brewers hit first in the fifth inning, but the Mets hit harder. The Brewers' unearned run against Gsellman was set up when Jonathan Villar reached on Asdrubal Cabrera's throwing error. After a single and a sacrifice bunt, Villar scored on Keon Broxton's groundout to third.
That was not enough for the Brewers to compensate for Matt Garza's unraveling in the bottom of the inning. Cabrera singled to lead off, and Wilmer Flores followed with a sharp single to right. Rene Rivera's double to the left-field corner scored the tying run and Gsellman's sacrifice fly chased Flores from third, good for a 2-1 lead. Michael Conforto brought in Rivera with a double to right.
The Brewers got one back in the sixth, when Domingo Santana launched a 0-and-2 curveball off his shoe tops over the leftfield fence.
In the sixth, fans were treated to some Terry Collins mental jiujitsu. The bases were loaded with two outs with Gsellman due up. The righty had already thrown 89 pitches, and Neil Walker, hitting .400 with runners in scoring position, was on the bench. For a manager who's been lambasted for his in-game decisions, lifting Gsellman here would be a move no one could criticize. So Collins left Gsellman in, and Gsellman made his manager look like a genius. He took the count full _ including a borderline ball on a 2-and-2 pitch that could have been strike three _ before walking to drive in a run, give the Mets a 4-2 lead and cause a wave of glee that has been mostly absent at Citi Field up to now.
Paul Sewald pitched a perfect eighth, while Addison Reed worked out of a two-on, no-out jam to earn his seventh save.
