The road trip that started with a bang ended with a whimper.
The Mets (53-69) scored 50 runs over the first seven games away from Citi Field, but a day after getting shutout they fell to the Braves 6-3 to lose the three-game series. Tyler Mahle (4-9) threw six innings of one-run ball a day after Martín Pérez tossed six scoreless frames.
Bo Bichette homered (12) to lead off the ninth and after Carson Benge doubled and Luis Robert Jr. walked, the Mets had the tying run to the plate. Jared Young grounded into a force play, Francisco Alvarez fouled out and Marcus Semien grounded out to end the game.
Robert hit a solo homer (6) in the seventh to bring New York within 3-2 an inning after Luis Torrens got the Mets on the board with his third homer in his last four starts and fifth for the season. But Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley hit back-to-back solo homers off of Dedniel Núñez in the seventh to extend Atlanta’s lead and Drake Baldwin added an RBI single off of Jefry Yan.
Zac Thornton (3-3), looking to solidify a spot in the 2027 rotation, allowed three earned runs on seven hits over six innings to raise his ERA to 2.78. The 24-year-old struck out two and walked one. He got an 87 mph cutter up to Lane Thomas in the second and it was hit 412 feet to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
The Braves added a run in the third when Matt Olson grounded into a double play and another in the fifth on a Ronald Acuña Jr. single.
Stats of the Game
Thornton has gone at least six innings in four of his eight starts. He has struck out 29 and walked 13 in 45 1/3 innings.
The Mets are 19-22 under Andy Green.
Player of the Game
Benge went 2-for-4 with a double and has reached safely in 16 straight. The 23-year-old rookie is 22-for-61 (.361 batting average) with two homers during the stretch and is slashing .274/.335/.413 for the year.
On Deck
The Mets are off Thursday. They start a six-game homestand (Nationals and Padres) on Friday with Robert Stock (0-2, 10.13 ERA) on the mound against rookie LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 3.76 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. ET on WPIX.
