Sheffield hits 500th homer in Mets’ win

Gary Sheffield joined the 500-home-run club Friday night, and Luis Castillo drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth inning, giving the New York Mets a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer to give Milwaukee a 4-3 lead in the sixth before Sheffield connected against Mitch Stetter, who was facing his first batter in relief of Dave Bush. The nine-time All-Star, in the game as a pinch-hitter, sent a full-count pitch an estimated 385 feet for his first hit of the season for the Mets.

After the Mets squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the eighth, Carlos Delgado doubled off Seth McClung (0-1) to start the ninth. Delgado scored on Castillo’s single to short, when a diving J.J. Hardy couldn’t deliver the throw home in time.