Matt Olson homered in consecutive games for the first time this season, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 9-2 on Sunday despite losing All-Star starter Reynaldo López to an injury.
Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, and Ramón Laureano all went deep for the Braves, who salvaged a four-game split after losing the first two games of the series. They currently hold the top National League wild card and are 1 1/2 games ahead of New York in the NL East.
“That’s a good win for our team,” stated manager Brian Snitker. “It is encouraging. Perhaps we’re reviving that offence.
López pitched three scoreless innings, dropping his major league-leading ERA to 2.06, before leaving with right forearm stiffness. He is taking it day by day and will return to Atlanta for an MRI. The Braves already have several great players on the disabled list.
“Right now, it’s forearm tightness and we took him out as a precaution,” Snitker informed me. “I’m glad he said something because you just don’t know about those things.”
Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer, while Tyrone Taylor doubled twice for New York. Hours before the game, the Mets completed a trade with Washington for outfielder Jesse Winker. He earned a standing ovation from the Citi Field fans before striking out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.
Olson threw his bat and helmet in exasperation after striking out against David Peterson (5-1) in the opening game. In the fourth inning, however, Olson hit a three-run homer 426 feet into the upper deck in right field, giving Atlanta a 3-0 lead.
Olson hit his fourth home run against the New York left-hander in 15 at-bats.
“Still just going to be working to have consistent at-bats every time, but seeing results is good,” Olson joked.
Later in the inning, Arcia walked with the bases loaded. He smacked a single home run in the sixth, and Riley added a two-run shot off Ryne Stanek, who made his Mets debut after being acquired from Seattle in a trade Friday evening.
Laureano’s two-run homer in the eighth increased the score 9-0.
“It was good to see the offence do some damage,” Riley told the team.
Dylan Lee (3-2) relieved López in the fourth and pitched two scoreless innings.
Through the first five innings, New York had six hits, including four doubles, but failed to score, going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Mets threatened in the fifth with a leadoff double by Taylor, but Laureano threw him out at the plate on Ben Gamel’s single to centre.
“That’s a good pitching staff,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza remarked. “We created traffic today, especially in the first three innings, but couldn’t get that big hit.”
TRAINERS’ ROOM
Braves: LHP Max Fried (forearm) played long toss in the outfield. He is eligible to return from the injured list on Friday, but no schedule has been set.
Mets: CF. Harrison Bader has missed his fifth consecutive game due to a painful right ankle. Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) made a rehab appearance for High-A Brooklyn and allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Reed Garrett (elbow inflammation) will see hitters on Wednesday before likely starting a rehab assignment two days later.
Atlanta’s RHP Grant Holmes (0-0, 2.70 ERA) will make his first career start on Monday night in Milwaukee, starting a three-game series. The 28-year-old rookie spent nearly a decade in the minors before being called up in mid-June. Colin Rea (9-3, 3.60) pitchers for the Brewers.
Mets: LHP Jose Quintana (5-6, 4.02 ERA) will face Minnesota at home. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.27), a former Mets farmhand, starts for the Twins.
Leave a Reply