Yes, it is only one series, but the New York Mets offense found a way to break out in Atlanta against the Braves (7-4). After a rainout on Wednesday, the offense came out Thursday afternoon and got at least one hit from every player in the lineup and seven runs in the first three innings en route to a 16-4 victory that sealed the shortened three-game series. Over the last three games, the New York Mets (5-7) scored 29 runs.
It started early in the top of the first. The Mets got runners on the corners with two outs and Brett Baty took a 0-2 fastball from Allan Winans into left field for a base hit that drove in Starling Marte.
One inning later, the Braves defense ended up giving the Mets a pair of runs. Brandon Nimmo hit a ball into center that Michael Harris II misplayed, which allowed Harrison Bader to score. Then, Marte hit a groundball that was booted by Orlando Arcia that drove in Nimmo to give New York a 3-0 lead out of the gate.
Well, the offense did not stop there. In the third, Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil each hit RBI doubles to give New York a 5-0 lead. The exclamation point came when DJ Stewart crushed a changeup over the wall in right for a two-run home run. Stewart’s second home run of the series put New York up by seven.
That early offensive surge was plenty for José Quintana (1-1, 3.45 ERA). The Braves were unable to score against him until the bottom of the fifth when Chadwick Tromp drove in a pair of runs with a double. He would come around to score later in the inning on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 7-3. However, the left-hander ended up minimizing the damage.
The Mets left-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out four on 100 pitches (60 strikes). Quintana has thrown over 100 pitches and pitched into the sixth inning in each of his last two starts.
In the seventh, after an Alvarez RBI groundout, McNeil added two more runs with a base hit to right to get the scoring into double digits. The 5-8 quartet in the lineup of Baty, Alvarez, McNeil, and Stewart combined to drive in eight runs in the victory.
Photo by Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Nimmo added an RBI triple in the eighth and would come around to score on a wild pitch. The center fielder drove in seven runs over the three games in Atlanta, continuing his strong performance over the last week.
To cap off an amazing game, the Mets got a chance to face their former teammate as Luis Guillorme made his Braves debut, but he made it on the mound. After the team loaded the bases, Tyrone Taylor hit a pinch-hit grand slam for his first home run in a Mets uniform.
As far as the rest of the bullpen goes, Drew Smith threw 1.2 scoreless innings after Quintana exited (two strikeouts). Then, Tyler Jay made his MLB debut and finished off the victory (2 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, BB, K).
Mets News
During the game, the New York Mets did announce that Julio Teheran elected to go to free agency after being designated for assignment on Tuesday after his start against Atlanta.
Stat Of The Game
The Mets needed Brett Baty to start well and show he can handle third base defensively. So far, he has done both of those things. He has driven in six runs on the season and has done it much faster than he did a year ago. Last year, it took him until May 7 to knock in his sixth run of the season.
Player Of The Game
The offense as a whole could apply for this honor, but Jeff McNeil takes it for driving in the most runs on the afternoon (3). After a slow start to the season, McNeil has a hit in four straight games. It is the first time he has driven in three runs or more in a game since August 18, 2023, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Deck
The Mets will be back at Citi Field to begin a six-game homestand on Friday night. First up will be the Kansas City Royals (8-4). You can catch the game on SNY at 7:10 p.m. ET. Luis Severino (0-1, 3.60) will take the ball for New York against former Met Michael Wacha (1-0, 2.25) for the Royals.
