Even when the Mets win, they can’t catch a break. That’s just how things have been going the past two weeks for this team.
The Mets did indeed get a much-needed 4-0 victory and series split against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. However, they also lost starter Griffin Canning to injury, potentially for the rest of the season. The blow comes with Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and Sean Manaea still on the IL.
Canning went down in a heap after throwing a pitch in the third inning and had to be helped off the field. The Mets officially announced that Canning had a left ankle injury and will undergo imaging, but Carlos Mendoza said after the game that the team believes it is an Achilles.
Fortunately for the Mets, the bullpen was terrific in making sure that insult would not be added to injury tonight. Austin Warren, Dedniel Núñez, Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz combined to shut out Atlanta over 6.1 scoreless innings after Canning’s injury.
“Once Griff goes down, in the back of my mind I was like ‘how are we going to get through nine innings here?’… Hell of a job by the bullpen there,” said Mendoza.
The middle of the Mets’ lineup did their part as well. Juan Soto singled and scored two runs, Pete Alonso had three hits and an RBI, and Jeff McNeil broke the game open with a two-run single in the eighth. Tyrone Taylor drove in the Mets’ first run with a sac fly in the fourth.
Back-to-back wins vs Atlanta help put the Mets’ 1-10 stretch in the rear-view mirror, at least for now. Tonight’s win also vaulted the Mets back in first place, a half-game up on the Phillies and 10 ahead of the Braves.
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Player of the Game
The Mets bullpen gets the nod as a unit after all four relievers stepped up in a huge way. Austin Warren, who was just called up earlier today, replaced Canning with 2.1 innings of one-hit ball for the win, striking out two.
“I wouldn’t really say it was a big challenge, adrenaline kicked in right away,” said Warren. “First off, I just want to pray for Griff, hopefully he’s alright.
Núñez followed and looked like his pre-injury 2024 self, striking out four and retiring all six batters he faced. Núñez hit 99 MPH on his fastball for the first time this season, and his average fastball velocity was up 1.3 MPH.
Stanek and Díaz shut the door on any chance of a Braves comeback in the eighth and ninth, respectively.
ON DECK
The Mets head to Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates (32-50). David Peterson (5–3, 2.98 ERA) faces off against Mitch Keller (1–10, 4.02 ERA). First pitch is 6:40 PM ET on SNY.
