NEW YORK — The Milwaukee Brewers struggled at the plate for the third straight game Friday night.

It didn't help that New York Mets pitcher Nelson Figueroa had the biggest game of his career.

Pitching for his hometown team after four years of fighting to get back to the big leagues, Figueroa retired his first 14 batters and led the Mets to a 4-2 victory over the Brewers on a foggy Friday night at Shea Stadium.

The much-traveled Figueroa tossed six savvy innings before a huge flock of family and friends to earn his first major league win since 2003 — when he pitched for Pittsburgh against Milwaukee.

The only hits for the Brewers, who lost their third straight after a 6-1 start, came on RBI doubles from Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy. Fielder ended an 0-for-13 skid.

"Give him credit. He threw the ball well. We hit some balls hard, but he pitched a good game," Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun said.

Working exclusively from the stretch at the spring training suggestion of pitching coach Rick Peterson, the right-handed Figueroa held his former  teammates to two hits in six innings while striking out six and walking two.

Carlos Delgado hit one of New York's three RBI singles and the Mets got a strong effort from their much-maligned bullpen.

New York All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes came out after the fifth inning with tightness in his left hamstring and said he probably won't play today.

"It's sore right now," Reyes said. "It's nothing big."

Brewers starter Manny Parra (1-1) allowed three runs and six hits in four innings.

Figueroa retired 14 straight batters before issuing a four-pitch walk to Corey Hart with two outs in the fifth. Hardy followed with an RBI double, and Figueroa received a warm hand from the crowd.

The Brewers cut their deficit to 3-2 in the sixth on Fielder's two-out RBI double, but Gold Glove center fielder Carlos Beltran ran down Braun's long drive to right-center to preserve the lead.

Beltran tracked the ball through the mist and fog for a difficult basket catch on the warning track.

"I never thought Beltran was going to catch that ball," Milwaukee manager Ned Yost said. "The air being heavy the way it was, we crushed some balls and (they) just died. That's smart pitching. Let your defense play the game for you."