NEW YORK For the first time this season, Matt Olson hit home runs in back-to-back games, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 9-2 on Sunday despite All-Star starter Reynaldo López’s injury.
The Braves, who had lost the opening two games of the series, rallied for a four-game split led by Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia, and Ramón Laureano. They are now one and a half games ahead of New York for second place in the NL East and possess the top wild card in the league.
“We had a good victory there,” manager Brian Snitker remarked. It’s heartening. Perhaps we are giving that offense new life.”
After pitching three scoreless innings and cutting his major league-leading ERA to 2.06, López left the game due to stiffness in his right forearm. He is returning to Atlanta for an MRI and is considered day-to-day. Numerous elite players for the Braves are already on the injured list.
“Right now, it’s forearm tightness and we took him out as a precaution,” Snitker explained. “I’m glad he said something because you just don’t know about those things.”
Tyrone Taylor doubled twice for New York, while Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run. The Mets completed the deal of outfielder Jesse Winker with Washington just hours before the game. Before he struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth, the Citi Field fans gave him a hearty round of applause.
After striking out against David Peterson (5-1) in the first inning, Olson flung his helmet and bat in despair. But in the fourth, Olson gave Atlanta a 3-0 lead with a three-run home bomb that went 426 feet into the upper deck in right field.
After 15 at-bats, Olson’s home run against the New York left-hander was his fourth.
“Still just going to be working to have consistent at-bats every time, but seeing results is good,” Olson stated.
Later in the inning, Arcia drew a walk with the bases loaded. In the seventh, he launched a solo home run, and Riley followed with a two-run blast off Ryne Stanek, who was making his Mets debut following his acquisition from Seattle on Friday night.
It was 9-0 thanks to Laureano’s two-run drive in the eighth.
“It was good to see the offense do some damage,” Riley stated.
At the beginning of the fourth inning, Dylan Lee (3-2) relieved López and pitched two scoreless innings.
Despite having six hits, including four doubles, through the first five innings, New York was just 1 for 9 when there were runners in scoring position and was unable to score. After a leadoff double by Taylor, the Mets threatened in the fifth, but Ben Gamel’s single to center field was fielded by Laureano at the plate.
“The pitching staff is good,” Carlos Mendoza, manager of the Mets, remarked. “We created traffic today, especially in the first three innings, but couldn’t get that big hit.”
ROOM FOR TRAINER
Braves: Max Fried, LHP, played long toss in the outfield due to a forearm injury. There is no set timeline for his comeback, although he can be taken off the disabled list on Friday.
Mets: CF Due to a painful right ankle, Harrison Bader missed his fifth straight game. During his rehab assignment with High-A Brooklyn, RHP Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning. After facing hitters on Wednesday, RHP Reed Garrett (elbow inflammation) will probably start a rehab assignment two days later.
UP NEXT Braves: Atlanta opens a three-game series in Milwaukee on Monday night, when RHP Grant Holmes (0-0, 2.70 ERA) makes his first career start. Before being called up in mid-June, the 28-year-old rookie was in the lower leagues for almost ten years. The Brewers’ RHP Colin Rea (9-3, 3.60) takes the mound.
Mets: At home against Minnesota, LHP Jose Quintana (5-6, 4.02 ERA) gets the start. Pitcher for the Twins is Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.27), a former farmhand for the New York Mets.
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