The New York Mets (25-25) suffered another defeat at the hands of their bullpen as the Atlanta Braves (31-21) won the first game of the double header by the score of 4-3. The Mets are a mere 5-6 in games Jacob deGrom has started this season despite his NL-best 1.52 ERA. The defeat was the fourth in a row for a team who started off 11-1 and is now at .500 (25-25). The Mets are now five games behind the Braves.

Pitching

Jacob deGrom retired Ender Inciarte to lead off the game but found himself in a jam shortly after. Ozzie Albies hit a single to right and Freddie Freeman drew a walk to put Albies in scoring position. DeGrom was able to evade damage as Nick Markakis grounded into an inning ending double play courtesy of Asdrubal Cabrera‘s one-hop backhanded stop and shuffle pass to Amed Rosario.

The grounds crew started to mobilize as the rain began to come down in third inning. A rain delay would for sure mean the end of deGrom’s day and require early usage of an already beleaguered Mets bullpen. Luckily the umpires decided to not stop play as the rain started to subside although some minor mound upkeep was done.

In the bottom half of the fourth Freeman singled with a sharp line drive to right. Nick Markakis then singled to left which caused the runner to advance to third. deGrom started to get into some trouble as he loaded the bases with one out after a walk Tyler Flowers. deGrom was able to evade damage as struck out Preston Tucker and Johan Camargo to end the inning.

The rain would return at the bottom of the sixth inning delaying the game for about thirty minutes. After not throwing a pitch for over forty minutes deGrom made quick work of the heart of the Atlanta lineup with an eight pitch frame. Even after the rain delay deGrom was topping his fastball out at 97 MPH.

Jake gave up a rare homerun to Tyler Flowers to lead off the seventh inning to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Mets. It was only the second run deGrom has given up the previous 39.1 innings. After a walk to Preston Tucker, Johan Camargo hit a sharp ground ball that ricocheted off Cabrera advancing Tucker to third with no one out. After running the count full (courtesy of a tight strike zone) to Dansby Swanson, deGrom was able to strike him out with a slider for the first out of the inning.

Jake got pinch-hitter Kurt Suzuki to pop up and Ender Inciarte to softly ground out to second ending the inning, the threat, and the afternoon for deGrom. Jacob deGrom turned in a gutsy and masterful performance on a day where the Mets needed him the most. Opposing hitters are a ridiculous 0 for 29 against deGrom. Jake turned in a 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 SO final stat line and threw 115 pitches of which 76 were for strikes.

Despite leaving with the lead, deGrom would earn another no-decision. Seth Lugo came in the eighth inning and gave up a bunt single to Ozzie Albies. Next batter Freddie Freeman singled advancing Albies to third with no one out. The Braves tied the game at 2-2 as Nick Markakis hit a sac-fly to right scoring Albies. The throw to the plate was not cut off which resulted in Freeman advancing to second with one out. Lugo was able to end the inning with two consecutive strikeouts.

Deciding to save Jeurys Familia for the nightcap, Mickey Callaway stuck with Lugo for the save chance in the ninth inning. That decision ended up being costly. Lugo walked Johan Camargo to lead off the inning. In his first homerun in two years Charlie Culberson hit a walk-off two run homerun off Lugo to end the game and extend the Mets losing streak to four games.

Hitting

Brandon Nimmo led off the game getting hit by a pitch by Braves starter Max Fried. Asdrubal Cabrera hit a ground ball to shortstop in what looked like a double play ball but Dansby Swanson booted the grounder giving the Mets runners on first and second with no one out. After Michael Conforto struck out, Jose Bautista drew a walk on a full count loading the bases for Mets first baseman Jay Bruce. Bruce ended up striking out on a curveball. The first run of the game came on a Devin Mesoraco bases loaded walk. It would be the only run the Mets score that inning as the next batter Luis Guillorme grounded out to shortstop. Mets hitters caused Max Fried to throw 22 pitches in the first inning who has a career 1.23 ERA against the Mets.

Devin Mesoraco got on base for the second time of the day with a leadoff single in the fourth inning. He would later score on a Guillorme double giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Guillorme would be stranded on second as Max Fried was able to retire the next three Mets.

Michael Conforto was able to work out a walk in the fifth inning but was picked off by Fried for the second out. Joey Bats hit a single but was picked off and caught stealing second with Bruce batting for the final out of the inning.

Devin Mesoraco hit a go-ahead solo homerun to lead off the ninth inning to give the Mets a 3-2 lead. It is his fifth homerun in 46 ABs during his tenure with the Mets and his second homerun in as many days in the ninth inning.

On Deck

Game two of the double header is scheduled for 7:10 PM EST on SNY. The Mets will send PJ Conlon (0-0, 7.26 ERA) to face Brandon McCarthy (5-2 4.67 ERA) as they seek to avoid a Memorial Day sweep.