The New York Mets (26-25) defeated the Atlanta Braves (31-22) by a score of 8-5 Monday night (and Tuesday morning) at SunTrust Park.
Offense
After a nearly three-hour rain delay, the Mets got things going quickly in the top of the first inning against Brandon McCarthy. After Brandon Nimmo grounded out to open the ballgame, Michael Conforto roped a base hit to right field. Jay Bruce then dropped a double just inside the right field line which bounced out of play for a ground rule double. So, with runners on second and third and one out, Adrian Gonzalez came up and singled on a line drive to right field to score Conforto.
With runners on first and third and one out, Kevin Plawecki came up for his first at-bat since April. He hit a slow roller back to the pitcher McCarthy who bounced it to second base. Ozzie Albies failed to scoop it and it scooted into center field to score a run. What should have been an inning-ending double play went into the book as a fielder’s choice and error.
Speaking of inning-ending double plays, Jose Reyes came up next and grounded into an inning-ending, rally-killing double play. Don’t you just love having him hit sixth in the line-up instead of Jose Bautista?
After an uneventful second inning offensively for the Mets, Nimmo led off the 3rd by socking a solo home run to right-center field. Conforto followed that up with a bloop single into “no-man’s land” left-center field still with nobody out. A Jay Bruce fly-out and an Adrian Gonzalez strikeout later, Kevin Plawecki hit a sharp grounder up the middle to put runners on first and second with two outs. Jose Reyes came up next, and on an 0-1 count roped a line drive down the right field line — foul by about eight inches. A few pitches later, he grounded out back to the pitcher to, again, end the inning and the threat.
The Mets were quieted by McCarthy for the 4th and 5th innings but they pounced on him in the 6th, a rally started by a one-out base hit by Kevin Plawecki followed by singles by Jose Reyes and Luis Guillorme to load the bases with one out. Peter Moylan was brought in to relieve McCarthy and was ambushed by Amed Rosario who lined his first pitch for a two-RBI single to left field, giving the Mets a 5-4 lead. Then while Jose Bautista was batting, Moylan uncorked a wild pitch moving the runners to second and third with one out. Bautista grounded out back to the pitcher and Nimmo flew out to end the frame.
After the Braves again tied the game in the bottom of the 6th, the Mets stayed on the attack in the 7th against LHP A.J. Minter. Michael Conforto led off with a single before Jay Bruce hit into a fielder’s choice; a hard ground ball on which Freddie Freeman made a phenomenal play to get the lead runner at second base for the first out. Back-to-back singles by Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Plawecki loaded the bases for Jose Reyes who, who could’ve predicted this, struck out looking.
Luckily, Reyes didn’t kill the rally this time through as Luis Guillorme lined a two-RBI base hit to right field, giving the Mets a 7-5 lead. With runners now on first and second base, Preston Tucker was brought in to face Amed Rosario who greeted him with an RBI single to center field. Asdrubal Cabrera, pinch-hitting for Robert Gsellman, flew out to end the frame with the Mets now up 8-5.
The Mets bats were mostly quiet for the last two frames, but the damage was done. Conforto (3-for-4), Gonzalez (2-for-5, RBI), Plawecki (3-for-4, BB, RBI), Guillorme (2-for-5, 2 RBI), and Amed Rosario (2-for-5, 3 RBI) all had big nights at the dish and contributed to the 8-5 victory.
Pitching
P.J. Conlon started for the Mets and was knocked out in the third inning. After allowing a solo shot to Kurt Suzuki in the second inning, Conlon was battered in the third by the usual suspects. Ender Enciarte singled to right field, and then Ozzie Albies hit a sharp grounder down the third base line, a ball Reyes seemed to over-dive on as it hit off the heel of his glove. Enciarte challenged Nimmo’s arm and won, putting runners on second and third with nobody out as Albies went to second on the throw.
Freddie Freeman, who came into the game batting .435/.491/.739 with runners in scoring position, improved those numbers with a line drive base hit to center field, scoring both runners and tying the game 3-3. Nick Markakis then smoked a line drive right at Jay Bruce in right field which he simply mis-played, taking his first steps in instead of back, as the ball sailed over his head for a double.
Hansel Robles was brought in with runners on second and third and nobody out, and allowed a sacrifice fly to Kurt Suzuki to give the Braves a 4-3 lead. With a runner on third base now and one out, Robles struck out the hero of game one Charlie Culberson with a slider away before plunking Johan Camargo in his back knee. A groundout to second base then both ended the inning and closed the book on Conlon who’s final line was as follows: 2+ IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 K, 0 BB
Robles held the Braves scoreless in the 4th and 5th innings, allowing just two hits and a walk over 3.0 innings, striking out three. Robert Gsellman came in for the 6th after the Mets took a 5-4 lead and immediately gave up a single to Ryan Flaherty and a double to Ender Enciarte to put runners on second and third. Ozzie Albies struck out swinging before the Mets took advantage of the open base and walked Freddie Freeman. With the bases loaded, the Mets had the corners in but were back up the middle for the double play chance.
Nick Markakis hit a slow ground ball which Amed Rosario charged in on and when he was about to field it and throw it to first (which would have been a very close play regardless), Reyes cut in front of him with a bad angle and held the ball, everyone’s safe. Kurt Suzuki then hit a ground ball to first base which Adrian Gonzalez fired home to get the lead runner for the second out. Charlie Culberson then flew out to center field and that would be the last batter Gsellman would face before being pinch-hit for in the next half inning. In his one inning of work, he allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk (intentional), striking out one.
Jacob Rhame came in for the 7th to preserve the 8-5 lead for another inning and did just that, firing a perfect inning, striking out two along the way.
Jeurys Familia came in to throw two perfect innings, striking out three, to record the save. He threw just 28 pitches, 22 of which were for strikes. His last batter faced was Dustin Peterson who was making his MLB debut — He struck him out looking to seal the deal and notch his 14th save of the season at around 1:20 in the morning.
On Deck
The Mets will send LHP Steven Matz (2-3, 3.80 ERA) to the hill to face off against the Braves and Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 1.29 ERA) Tuesday night at SunTrust Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 PM EST, but rain is in the forecast.
