The Mets dropped the opening game of the series against the Atlanta Braves tonight at Turner Field by a score of 5-3.
Pitching:
After rain delayed the start of the game by a little over an hour, Jon Niese took the mound for the Amazin’s. He was quickly greeted with a lead-off homer off the bat of Cameron Maybin to kick things off for Atlanta.
Wilmer Flores committed a throwing error two batters later, causing Nick Markakis to be safe at first on the play. This was followed by back-to-back singles from Freddie Freeman and Jonny Gomes, pushing across another run for the Braves.
The Braves tacked on another run in the third inning. After a Jonny Gomes and a Chris Johnson double, Christian Bethancourt came up and hit a grounder to Wilmer Flores who threw erratically to first again, allowing Gomes to score.
Niese would go five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, while walking two and striking out two, taking the no decision.
Erik Goeddel pitched a 1,2,3 sixth inning, and Sean Gilmartin, making his Major League debut, retired the two lefties to face him in the seventh inning before being replaced by Rafael Montero who ended the inning with a strikeout.
Montero returned the mound in the eighth inning, and served up a double to Chris Johnson. Jace Peterson came in to run for Johnson, and after a grounder to David Wright off the bat of Andrelton Simmons with one out, Wright attempted to tag Peterson instead of throwing it to first to get the easy out. Peterson dodged the tag and was safe at third, and in the process, Simmons took second base, which was not being covered. This proved to be a huge turning point in the game, as the Braves would subsequently take the lead with a single off the bat of Phil Gosselin which scored two.
Jerry Blevins recorded the final out of the eighth with a strikeout of Nick Markakis.
Offense:
The Mets were held hitless by Braves starter Eric Stults for the first three innings, but in the fourth after a Curtis Granderson walk, David Wright hit his first home run since July, 2014. John Mayberry, Jr. followed Wright by doing the exact same thing, tucking his first Mets home run over the left field wall.
Wright went 3-for-4 and is 6 for his last 10 at the plate, however, his mental blunder in the field was costly, as it would lead to the Braves taking the lead in the late goings.
Apart from Wright’s mistake, Wilmer Flores had a really rough day at the office, with a series of throwing errors. That combined with Wright’s decision essentially cost the Mets the game.
The Braves are now 4-0, but the Mets need to take the next two and win this series. Every game against division rivals are super important.
On Deck:
Dillon Gee takes on Julio Teheran tomorrow night. First pitch is at 7:10 PM.
