There are certain games that a team wins that are called feel-good wins. Today’s New York Mets 8-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves qualifies as one of those. (box score)
With bad news encircling the Mets, with their seven straight losses and their bullpen’s over seven ERA, it was nice to have a day when some good news abounded.
Earlier in the day, it was announced that Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom would be joining the National League squad in Cleveland for the All-Star game. Alonso is the first rookie position player in franchise history to make the All-Star team.
Then, after starter Mets’ starter Noah Syndergaard left the game with a score of 3-3, Chris Flexen gave up two runs to make the score 5-3 Atlanta. With every Mets fan feeling that the result would be the same as its been over the last week or more with the bullpen giving it up, the Mets rallied in the eighth for five runs to take the lead for good.
It was the first win for the Mets in a week, breaking their 7 game losing streak. On a weekend that served as a tribute to the 1969 Mets, it was nice to see that the 2019 version did not get swept.
It feels good.
Pitching
Noah Syndergaard made his 16th start of the year on Sunday after coming off the IL. He gave up a first inning run on two hits as the Braves got started early. Lead-off man Ronald Acuna, Jr. singled to begin the game and on the very next pitch, stole second. He moved to third on a fly-out by Dansby Swanson and scored on a two-out double off the bat of Josh Donaldson to give Atlanta a 1-0 lead.
Syndergaard retired the Braves in order in the second but gave up a run in the third. With one out, Acuna, Jr. stepped up to the dish and blasted a 420 foot home run to right center to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. It was the 20th home run of the year for the Braves’ All-Star.
In the fourth, the Braves were retired in order. Swanson singled in the fifth, but was erased on a stolen base attempt.
The Braves tied the game in the top of the sixth. Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson both walked to open the frame. Nick Markakis followed with a fielder’s choice to put runners on the corners. Johan Camargo hit s soft single to center to plate Freeman and knot the score at 3-3. Tyler Flowers followed with a walk, the first time Syndergaard as issued three walks in an inning. At this point, Mets’ manager Mickey Callaway made a pitching change and brought in Chris Flexen with the bases loaded. The count went to 3-2 against pinch-hitter Matt Joyce before Joyce grounded out to end the threat.
Syndergaard’s final line was: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 5 K 106 pitches.
Atlanta took the lead in the top of the seventh as the first three batters went single, double, double to give the Braves a 5-3 lead. Acuna swatted his third hit of the night followed by doubles by Swanson and Freeman. For Freeman, it was his 33rd RBI in the month of June setting a Braves franchise record for most RBI’s in a calendar month. Wilmer Font came in after Freeman’s double and put out the fire getting the next three Braves in order to limit the damage to two runs.
Font was impressive in the top of the eighth retiring the Braves in order.
Edwin Diaz came in to close things out, and though he was a little wild to his first batter (Acuna), he managed a 1-2-3 inning to secure the Mets much needed win.
Offense
The Mets managed 13 hits against the Braves on Sunday.
After the Braves took the lead in the top of the first, the Mets wasted little time getting that run back in the bottom of the frame. All-Star Jeff McNeil started things off with a single to right and advanced to second on an error by pitcher Max Fried. J.D. Davis drove him in on an opposite field single to tie the game at 1-1. Robinson Cano, who was moved down to the fifth position in the line-up, also singled in the opening inning to put runners on first and second but was stranded on a ground out by Amed Rosario.
The Mets went 1-2-3 in the second but scored a pair in the third to take the lead. All-Star Pete Alonso walked and J.D. Davis followed with a single, his second hit of the game. Todd Frazier followed with an RBI single to tie the game as Alonso scored. Cano then blooped a single to left to load the bases. It was also Cano’s second hit of the contest. Rosario hit a deep fly-ball to right that was caught by Nick Markakis. Davis scored on the sacrifice fly to give the Mets their first lead of the game, 3-2.
The Mets had a great chance to score in the fifth but failed to do so. After one out hits by Davis (his third of the game) and Todd Frazier, the Mets had runners on the corners with one out. But Cano hit into an inning ending double play to snuff-out the threat and keep the score 3-2.
After the Mets went in order in the sixth, they had a mild threat in the seventh but failed to score. McNeil singled for his second hit of the game and stole second. Unfortunately, Alonso and Davis were unable to bring him around.
The Mets took the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Frazier led off with a towering home run to left to make the score 5-4. It was his 11th homer of the year and eighth in the month of June. The next batter, Cano, was hit by a Sean Newcomb pitch. Rosario followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Tomas Nido attempted to sacrifice, but bunted too hard and Josh Donaldson got the lead runner at third. Wilson Ramos pinch hit and had a productive at-bat as he lined out to right moving Rosario to third. Michael Conforto was next, and he walked to load the bases.
The MLB batting leader, Jeff McNeil (.348) then blooped a single to right to score two and give the Mets a 6-5 lead. Then fellow All-Star Alonso came up and hit a hard double to left to score Conforto and McNeil to give the Mets an 8-5 lead.
Frazier, McNeil and Davis each contributed three hits in the game.
On Deck
After a day off on Monday, the Mets will entertain the Yankees in part two of the 2019 Subway Series starting on Tuesday. The two teams split a doubleheader on June 11. The Mets have decided to flip Jason Vargas and Zack Wheeler. With Wheeler now starting on Tuesday and Vargas on Wednesday.
James Paxton (5-3, 4.34 ERA) will start for the Bombers. He gave up six runs on seven hits in only 2 2/3 innings against the Mets. He has a 6.08 ERA since returning from the IL on May 29.
The game will be telecast on YES and WPIX and broadcast on WFAN 660-AM and WCBS 880-AM. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.
