NEW YORK -- First, the Milwaukee Brewers found the most surprising slugger of the 2017 season. Now they might have discovered the game's most unlikely leadoff hitter.

Eric Thames hit his first homer in more than three weeks Wednesday, and Eric Sogard continued his transformation into a top-of-the-order threat by drawing three walks and scoring two runs as Milwaukee cruised to a 7-1 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Sogard and Thames, the Brewers' No. 2 hitter, went a combined 3-for-5 with five walks in 10 plate appearances Wednesday. They were particularly pesky against Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, who threw 38 of his 105 pitches against the duo while allowing them to reach base all six times they stepped to the plate.

"Top two guys in the lineup were the guys that were kind of the thorn for deGrom as much as anything -- both guys saw a ton of pitches," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "They both just made him work really hard."

Sogard worked an eight-pitch walk to lead off the game before Thames homered well beyond the right-center-field fence for his 14th round-tripper but first since May 9. Thames went 63 plate appearances in between homers, a stretch in which he batted .163 with two RBIs while battling a hamstring injury and strep throat.

"The home run, I was like, I almost dropped to my knees," Thames said with a grin. "That's what it feels like?"

Keon Broxton homered leading off the second before Sogard and Thames each drew two-out walks but were stranded. Sogard drew his third walk to begin a four-run rally in the fourth, when Thames followed with a double.

Sogard singled in the fifth inning, but Thames flied out. Sogard made his lone out in the seventh by lining to left immediately before Thames drew a walk.

While Thames at least hinted at his power potential by hitting 21 homers in 181 big league games in 2011 and 2012 before crushing 124 homers the last three seasons in South Korea, there was little in Sogard's past to indicate he had the skill set to become a leadoff hitter.

Sogard entered the season with a .295 on-base percentage, 29 stolen bases and nearly twice as many strikeouts (162) as walks (92) in 435 big league games. However, he has produced a .571 on-base percentage with 13 walks and two strikeouts in 15 games since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on May 2.

Sogard said he feels like a new player since undergoing knee surgery last April, which ended his 2016 season after only two minor league games but allowed him to fix a chronic injury.

"(A stronger knee has) allowed me to stay behind the ball more, is giving me more time to see the ball," Sogard said. "I'm quicker to the ball as well, so I think I'm able to pick and choose pitches much easier and lay off the close ones."

The Brewers' usual leadoff hitter is reigning National League stolen base champion Jonathan Villar, but Counsell isn't about to mess with success. He said Wednesday night that Sogard would lead off again Thursday afternoon in the series finale.

"I can figure that one out," Counsell said with a grin.

Jesus Aguilar (run-scoring double), Hernan Perez (two-run single) and Manny Pina (run-scoring groundout) all collected RBIs in the fourth inning for the Brewers (28-25), who won for only the third time in 10 games. Travis Shaw added two hits.

Right-hander Junior Guerra (1-0) cruised to the win by allowing four hits and three walks while striking out four over six shutout innings.

The Mets (23-28), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, scored their lone run with two outs in the ninth, when Juan Lagares singled and scored on Michael Conforto's double. Curtis Granderson had two hits and a walk.

DeGrom (4-2) allowed seven runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out six over four innings in one of the worst starts of his four-year career.

"I was just bad tonight -- honestly terrible," deGrom said. "I wasn't able to keep our team in a position to (get) a win, and it was just an all-around bad job on my part."

It was the third time in 87 big league starts deGrom allowed at least seven runs and only the fourth time he lasted four innings or fewer.

"Leadoff walk, then a home run, a few more walks in there," deGrom said. "I just wasn't able to make pitches when I needed to."

NOTES: Mets LHP Josh Edgin threw a career-high three shutout innings in relief of RHP Jacob deGrom. ... Mets CF Curtis Granderson's two hits left him one shy of 1,600 for his career. ... Brewers SS Orlando Arcia extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games with a seventh-inning double. ... Brewers 3B Travis Shaw has a hit in 18 of his past 19 games.