The Mets drop a close game to the Braves, 8-7.

Summary

I hate when we lose games like this. It always feels so tough to stomach.

Time to get right into it. RA Dickey started this one, his first start after being snubbed for the AS game start he deserved, and looked a little rusty. He allowed five earned runs in five innings pitched, off eight hits and two walks – and he struck out four. Everybody is allowed a bad start every now and then, and with the way Dickey has been pitching, I will chalk it up to a little rust and confusion from the All-Star game. During the fifth inning, Collins got ejected for arguing an overturned call, and it was a very controversial moment overall. It definitely shifted some momentum, as the Braves took advantage to score two in the inning. The Braves would be held off the board until the eighth inning, after Josh Edgin and Jon Rauch pitched back to back scoreless innings, with the help of Byrdak picking up the final out in the seventh. He started the eighth and was removed after a walk to Brian McCann. Beato came in, where he allowed a hit and picked up a strikeout, before handing the ball to Parnell. And then…

A strikeout. Followed by three straight singles by the Braves, leaving Byrdak, Beato, and Parnell with an ER charged to them in the inning and a blown save on Parnell’s part. Tough.

The offense was not at fault today, as they backed up the bad start from Dickey with pop, combining for three runs before he was removed from the game. A Thole double, a Davis HR, and a Torres single accounted for those three. Turner, Tejada, and Valdespin rocked the Braves for three consecutive RBI singles in the sixth to drop three runs on the Braves at that point. Tejada came back to add an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single. Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth, however.

Damn.

Goat Of The Game

It was not your night, mister Parnell.

Notes

Fourth blown save for Bobby Parnell, and his second loss.

13th HR for Ike Davis.

On Deck

Johan Santana takes on Ben Sheets as the series continues tomorrow at 1:35. Keep an eye on both starters.