By Zachary McMahon-
The New York Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves in the series opener of a four-game weekend series at Citi Field in Queens, NY on Thursday night. The Mets entered the matchup winning the last three games, after sweeping the New York Yankees in the Subway Series in a two-game series, while the Braves lost the last four games.
Entering this game, the Braves and the Mets are split at three games apiece, and the Braves won the last series from May 10-12, winning the first two games of the series.
Braves third baseman Austin Riley was activated from the paternity list, and Zack Short was designated for assignment for the third time this season, as he was DFA’d from the Mets and the Boston Red Sox earlier this season. Short was 8-for-54 in 30 games for the Braves before being DFA’d today.
Allen Winans was sent down to Gwinnett after starting what was supposed to be Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, however Game 2 was rained out and was rescheduled to Sept. 9. Zach Louge was also optioned to Gwinnett, and Daysbel Hernandez stays in Atlanta after being the 27th man for the doubleheader on Wednesday.
Brandon Nimmo did not play for the Mets, as Jeff McNeil played in left field, and DJ Stewart was in right field, and he struck out in all three plate appearances.
Chris Sale started for the Braves as 7 ⅓ innings, only allowing two hits, two earned runs, and one walk with nine strikeouts. It was Sale’s first regular season appearance at Citi Field, where earned the win in the 2013 All-Star game, and his first start against the Mets since Sept. 22, 2021 with the Red Sox, he is 1-0 in four starts against the Mets including this game in which he received a no-decision.
Luis Severino started for the Mets, pitching three innings allowing seven hits, two earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Orlando Arcia brought Ramon Laureano home in the second inning on a single for the first run of the game, he extended his season-long hitting streak to five games. Francisco Lindor hit a two-run home run in the third inning as the Mets took the lead 2-1, and Lindor extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
Travis D’Arnaud hit an RBI single that brought home Marcell Ozuna that tied the game at two in the sixth. D’Arnaud extended his hitting streak to six games with the single.
Mets relievers Jose Butto, Edward Diaz and Phil Maton each did not allow a hit, and Diaz allowed a walk to Eddie Rosario in the ninth. Rosario was pinch ran by Whit Merrifield, who made his debut for the Braves, after he signed with the Braves on July 22 after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies after he batted .199 in 53 games.
Joe Jimenez and Riasel Iglesias pitched the eighth and ninth innings and did not allow a hit or a walk, and Iglesias struck out two batters in the ninth, as the game went into extra innings. In fact, Atlanta had retired 17 straight batters until Pierce Johnson intentionally walked Pete Alonso, to prevent him from hitting a walk-off homer.
In the tenth inning, with Ramon Laureano being the runner at second base, after a sacrifice bunt by Arcia in which Laureano advanced to third, Laureano was picked off at third while Jarred Kelenic was at the plate, Kelenic grounded out to Maton as it went into the middle of the tenth. In the bottom half, McNeil hit a walk-off single that brought home Jose Iglesias as the Mets won 3-2 as Laureano could not position himself to get the final out to extend the game.
Iglesias snapped a eight-game hitting streak with plate appearances, as he went 0-for-4, Iglesias has scored a run in seven out of the last ten games.
Along with his walk-off, he reached on an infield single in the second inning, so McNeil has 224 multi-hit games, which is the 14th most multi-hit games in Mets history, passing the mark set by Carlos Beltran, as he played on the Mets from 2005-2011. McNeil tied Lee Mazzill for 15th most hits in Mets history with 796. Mazzill had two stints with the Mets in 1976-1981 and 1986-1989, as he was on the 1986 team that won the World Series against the Red Sox.
Alonso extended his on-base streak to 11 games when he was hit by a pitch and intentionally walked.
The teams will meet again tomorrow when Kodai Senga makes his season debut after being out with a right shoulder capsule strain shortly after Spring Training and had a 4.15 ERA in four starts in the minor leagues. The Braves will send Charlie Morton to the mound to start.
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