Mets Strengthen First Place Hold as Scherzer Shines in Mets Win

It was a battle of NL East foes in Atlanta on Monday as the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets opened a huge three-game series against each other. It was the “mad Max Monday” in terms of pitching as the Mets’ right-handed ace Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.15 ERA) faced off against Braves left-handed pitcher Max Fried (9-2, 2.56 ERA).

Scherzer was lights out for the most part as he pitched a brilliant seven innings, giving up just one run on three hits. He struck out nine and was credited with the win to improve to 6-1 on the season as the Mets defeated the Braves 4-1. Luis Guillorme drove in two of the Mets’ four runs in a solid offensive performance as well.

Nimmo led off the top of the first with a walk to put a runner on quick for the Mets, but they were not able to produce on Nimmo reaching as Fried retired the next three batters he faced.

Scherzer came to the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the first and picked up right where he left off from his last start. He retired the Braves in order and struck out two.

The Mets put two runners on in the second. Guillorme hit a deep one-out ground-rule double to reach and two batters later Travis Jankowski, replacing Jeff McNeil on the Atlanta trip, was hit by a pitch. Guillorme and Jankowski were left stranded, however, as Tomas Nido struck out to end the inning.

Scherzer again retired the Braves in order in the second and struck out his third batter of the night.

The Mets struck first in the third for the game’s first run. Nimmo led-off the inning with a double, reaching for the second time on the night. Two batters later he was followed by an RBI double by Pete Alonso that scored Nimmo and gave the Mets a 1-0 lead over the Braves in the third.

Following’s Alonso’s RBI double, Mark Cahna walked to put two on and Escobar singled to load the bases. Guillorme came through for a force out to second that allowed Alonso to score for the RBI to give the Mets a 2-0 lead over the Braves in the third. J.D. Davis popped out for the inning’s final out.

The Braves made contact for their first hit in the bottom of the third, a two-out single by the former Met, Robinson Cano in his first plate appearance for the Braves. But Scherzer struck out Ronald Acuna Jr. to get out of the inning and leave Cano stranded. Through three innings, Scherzer had five strikeouts.

The Mets put two more runners on in the fourth. Jankowski led-off the inning with a walk and Francisco Lindor hit a two-out single, but the Mets left two more runners stranded as Alonso struck out to end the inning.

Scherzer continued to roll in the fourth as he struck out two more for seven on the night and retired the side in order.

The walks continued for the Mets in the fifth as Cahna reached again in the fifth on a lead-off walk, followed by a walk to Guillorme two batters later to put two batters on. Davis grounded into a double play to end the inning and leave two sstranded.

Scherzer once again retired the side in order in the fifth inning.

The Braves went to their bullpen in the top of the sixth. Dylan Lee replaced Fried on the mound for Atlanta. He retired the Mets in order.

Scherzer then once again sat down the Braves in order in the sixth.

Lindor got the offense started for the Mets in the seventh with a lead-off single, but Alonso grounded into a double play to clear the bases. Cahna then reached for a third time with a two-out single, but Escobar flew out to end the inning.

Scherzer showed his first sign of tiring in the seventh as after two quick outs, he then gave up two extra base hits: A solo home run to Austin Riley to put the Braves on the board and make it a 2-1 game, followed by a ground-rule double to Marcell Ozuna. Needing an out, Scherzer struck out Rosario for his ninth out of the game to retire the side.

Darren O’Day, the one-time Met and former Yankee, came in to pitch the eighth for the Braves in relief of Lee.

Guillorme had Scherzer’s back in the eighth and answered the Atlanta home run right back with a lead-off solo home run to right to extend the Mets’ lead to 3-1 in the eighth. That was Guillorme’s second RBI of the night. O’Day retired the side following the home run.

The Mets led the Braves 3-1 as the game headed to the bottom of the eighth in Atlanta.

Scherzer’s day was done after seven innings. Adam Ottavino came in to relieve Scherzer in the eighth for the Mets.

The Braves tried to rally in the bottom half of the eighth. After two quick outs for Ottavino, he gave up a single to Cano who got his second hit off the game against his former team, followed by a double to Acuna Jr. Ottavino found his way out of the inning though, leaving two runners stranded.

The Braves once again went to their bullpen in the ninth as Jackson Stephens came on to relieve O’Day on the mound.

The Mets extended their lead in the ninth. Nimmo walked to open the inning, followed by a hit-and-runn single by Lindor that advanced Nimmo to third. Alonso then hit into a force out, but it allowed Nimmo to score and advanced Lindor to second as the Mets extended their lead over the Braves to 4-1.

Stephens retired the next two batters he faced to get out of the inning.

Edwin Diaz came in to close out the ninth for the Mets. He struck out the side to pick up the save for Scherzer and the Mets defeated the Braves in the series-opener 4-1.

Player of the Game:

Your MMO player of the game is Max Scherzer. Scherzer threw seven innings and gave up one run on three hits and struck out nine.

Up Next:

The Mets and Braves continue their series on Tuesday night at 7:20PM. David Peterson(5-1, 3.48 ERA) takes the mound for the Braves against Spencer Strider (4-2, 2.60 ERA) for the Braves.