NEW YORK — Gary Sheffield joined the 500-homer club, and Luis Castillo drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth inning that gave the New York Mets a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer to give Milwaukee a 4-3 lead in the sixth before Sheffield tied it the next inning off Mitch Stetter, who was facing his first batter in relief of starter Dave Bush.

Sheffield, a nine-time All-Star, was on as a pinch hitter and sent a full-count pitch an estimated 385 feet for his first hit of the season.

After squandering 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.

Castillo was mobbed by his teammates after he touched first base.

New York's revamped bullpen gave up just one hit over the final four innings, with J.J. Putz (1-0) pitching a perfect ninth for his first win with the Mets.

At 40 years, 143 days, Sheffield became the fourth-oldest player to hit 500 home runs behind Willie McCovey (40 years, 171 days), Eddie Murray (40, 194) and Ted Williams (41, 291).

Sheffield pumped both arms in the air as he began to round the bases, with cameras flashing throughout Citi Field. He touched home plate and pointed to the sky with both arms before hugging on-deck batter Jose Reyes.

He then received congratulatory hugs and high-fives from his new teammates, who came out of the dugout as fans gave Sheffield a prolonged ovation. He raced up the dugout steps for a curtain call, waving his helmet to the crowd of 36,436.

The homer, the second as a pinch-hitter, tied the score at 4-all. It was caught by Chris Matcovich, a 22-year-old Mets fan from Suffern, N.Y., wearing a Keith Hernandez jersey.

Known as much for his outspoken personality as he is for a vicious swing that made him one of the most feared hitters in the game, Sheffield joined Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Frank Robinson and Reggie Jackson as the only players with 500 homers and at least 2,500 hits, 1,500 RBIs and 200 stolen bases.

Sheffield was 0-for-4 with three walks for the Mets before the home run. He made his first start of the season Wednesday after signing with New York on April 4, a few days after the Detroit Tigers suddenly released him.

New York was coming off its first series loss at Citi Field, but went ahead 3-0 in the first inning behind a sacrifice fly from Delgado, a walk to Ramon Castro with the bases loaded and an RBI single by Castillo.

Livan Hernandez couldn't hold the lead, though, and gave up seven hits and four runs in five-plus innings, including Braun's first homer of the season.

Notes: The Mets placed C Brian Schneider on the 15-day DL because of a muscle strain in his back. They purchased the contract of Omir Santos from Triple-A Buffalo to fill his spot. ... The Mets gave the city's new archbishop, Timothy Dolan, a jersey before the game. Dolan was at the game with his predecessor, Cardinal Edward Egan.