This game had a definite carnival atmosphere feel to it as the Atlanta Braves beat the Mets by the score of 9-4 to split the rain-shortened two-game series at Turner Field.
What a comedy of errors for the Mets even though the box score would suggest a clean game. I hate sad stories and bad endings so this will be short and sweet bitter.
What was up with Duda on that fly ball? Dude, check out the brunette in Row 3.
Jon Niese struggled from the word go and while it looks like he took a real pounding, it was more like a spanking as the Atlanta Official Scorer was handing out free base-hits today instead of some well deserved errors. In the end, Niese lasted just 4.0 innings and was charged with seven earned runs on seven hits and an appalling six walks! Get that kid outta there…
The Mets southpaw was betrayed by some of the most horrendous defense I’ve ever seen. The most egregious miscue came in the third inning when Lucas Duda misjudged a routine fly ball off the bat of Freddie Freeman that sailed over his head and allowed two Braves runs to score to put them up 3-0. That would open the floodgates as Niese then uncorked a wild pitch with Dan Uggla at the plate to send Freeman scampering home with another run. That pitch could have easily been blocked by the stocky John Buck. With the Braves now up 4-0, Reed Johnson drives home Uggla with an RBI single and suddenly the Braves are up 5-0 lead after three innings.
David Wright tried to get the Mets back in the game in the top of the fourth inning when he rocketed his fifth homer of the season – a two-run shot that got the Mets on the board.
Jeurys Familia replaced Niese in the bottom of the fifth, after Niese loaded the bases with a single by Gattis and back to back walks to Uggla and B.J. Upton. Familia was warmly greeted by a two-run single by Reed Johnson and suddenly the Braves were up by five runs again. Freddie Freeman tagged Familia with a solo home run and left the game with the Braves up 8-2.
The Mets scored another pair of runs in the eighth on an RBI-single by Duda and then Justin Turner drove in a run when he walked with the bases loaded. But the Braves responded with one more to make the score 9-4 and earn the split.
The Mets are off on Monday, as Robin Ventura and his White Sox head to Citi Field for short two-game series beginning on Tuesday. Matt Harvey will take the hill for the Mets.
