The team batted .251 and averaged 3.2 runs while dropping five of six games to the Dodgers and Padres, a bad trip made even worse when right-hander Ben Sheets joined Tomo Ohka on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

A number of Brewers regulars entered Friday's series opener against the Mets stuck in slumps, including shortstop J.J. Hardy (0-for-11), first baseman Prince Fielder (0-for-12), right fielder Geoff Jenkins (2-for-22, .091), utility man Bill Hall (4-for-26, .154), and second baseman Rickie Weeks (2-for-13, .154).

Hardy's slide goes back even further; he has five hits in his last 25 at-bats and on Friday was out of the lineup for the second time in three games. Backups Gabe Gross (2-for-22, .091) and Chad Moeller (2-for-19, .105) were also struggling through the Brewers' latest tough road trip.

Brewers manager Ned Yost closed the clubhouse doors Friday afternoon for what he called a regular, pre-series defensive meeting. But one Brewer said the address included some of the same sentiments Yost shared with reporters later.

"We're just real close to putting it together and getting on a bit of a run," said Yost, whose club needed a win Friday to avoid slipping two games under .500 for the first time this season. "It's just the ability to relax a little bit in certain situations and not trying to do too much to carry the load. Let everybody do their individual job.

"I think guys are pressing in certain situations. It's human nature to do that. ... Until we can calm down a little bit, stay within ourselves we're [not] going to really get on a roll."

For the year, the Brewers were hitting .271 overall but just .251 with runners in scoring position, 19th of the 30 Major League teams through Thursday. They were tied for second with 50 home runs, but had relied on the long ball for 44 percent of their runs, the fifth-highest percentage in the Majors.

"All of these kids want to win, and they want to win bad," Yost said. "At times, there's certain things that you have to control -- and emotions are one of them -- to be successful in these big situations. Until we can do that on a constant basis, we're going to stumble around."

Dome, sweet dome: It had been raining in Milwaukee for two straight days by the time Dave Bush threw his first pitch against the Mets on Friday night, and the Brewers could not have cared less. The team played with the Miller Park roof closed for the 13th time this season.

"The one thing that makes this place so great is that you don't have to worry about the weather," Yost said. "It's nice to be back home."

It was especially nice because the Brewers' pitching staff is in limbo and Yost could ill afford to work around a rainout. With Ohka and Sheets disabled and Ben Hendrickson coming off a poor start Thursday in San Diego, the team is counting on left-hander Dana Eveland to continue his Minor League success in Milwaukee. Eveland is scheduled to start in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday night.

As for Sheets, a somewhat testy Yost said the Brewers do not know when their ace will return from right shoulder tendinitis.

"I'm not a mind-reader, I'm not a fortune-teller," Yost said. "I don't know. When he's better, he'll be in there."

Monthly honors: The Brewers' traveling media contingent voted Carlos Lee and Chris Capuano the Brewers' player and pitcher of the month for April.

Lee hit .297 with 10 home runs and 20 RBIs for the month. His 10 April homers tied for the third most in the Majors and set a club record.

"He just finds ways to get big hits when we need them most," Yost said.

Capuano went 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA in the opening month. The lefty worked at least six innings in each of his six starts, and tied Boston's Curt Schilling for the Major League lead with 40 strikeouts. On April 30 at Wrigley Field, Capuano pitched the first complete game and shutout of his Major League career in a win over the Cubs.

Minors, too: Class A Brevard County's Steve Sollmann was named the organization's player of the month and teammate Yovani Gallardo earned pitcher of the month honors. The Minor League winners were selected by the Brewers' baseball operations staff.

Sollmann batted .367 in April with five doubles, one home run, 12 RBIs, a .468 on-base percentage and three stolen bases.  He was selected in the 10th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft and signed by Mike Farrell.

Gallardo, 20, went 2-2 with a 1.69 ERA and allowed only 20 hits in 26 innings while striking out 38 batters.  Gallardo was selected in the second round of the 2004 draft and signed by Jim Stevenson.

On deck: Eveland will start Saturday against another pitcher making his season debut, Mets right-hander Jeremi Gonzalez. Only single-seat and standing-room tickets remain for Derrick Turnbow bobblehead day at Miller Park, and all fans will get a Turnbow figure with "real" doll hair.

"I think it's pretty funny," said the bushy-haired Turnbow, who was referred to by Padres broadcaster Matt Vasgersian earlier this week as "the Brewers' unmade bed."

"I think it kind of looks better than my real hair," Turnbow said with a laugh. "It's definitely an honor."