Ryan Braun's return should spark Milwaukee Brewers' offense

NEW YORK -- The Milwaukee Brewers' first game with Ryan Braun back in the lineup went a lot like the past six they played without him.

Braun returned from a back injury Sunday afternoon, and he went 1-for-4 with a stolen base as the Brewers fell to the New York Mets 3-1 at Citi Field.

"Felt fine," Braun said afterward. "Not bad."

The loss capped a three-game sweep for the Brewers, who were outscored by four runs in the series. They went 2-4 without Braun, who missed back-to-back games May 14-15 before missing four straight prior to Saturday. Only one of those games -- a 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday -- was decided by more than one run.

Adding Braun to a lineup that has just one other power threat could help the Brewers win more of those close games. Braun leads Milwaukee with a .360 average and .424 on-base percentage, while his seven homers, 28 RBIs and .566 slugging percentage all rank second behind first baseman Chris Carter's totals.

"You're putting your normal three-hole hitter back in your lineup -- we're excited to do that," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "You look back on these games (and) say, 'What if,' that doesn't help us. But I think anytime you can put one of the better hitters in the league back in your lineup, you're happy about that, for sure."