Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves
Breaking News: The Braves beat the Mets in Truist Park. Again.
Austin Riley won the game for the Braves on a sac fly in the 10th inning. Final score 5-4.
“That was huge. It is a good way to start a series,” Riley said after the game.
A 56-minute rain delay didn’t stop the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets from playing the first of three games at Truist Park on Tuesday night. Coming into their first meeting of the season, the two teams couldn’t be in any more different positions. The Mets were in first with the best win-loss record (45-27) in the National League. And the Braves, well, the Braves were 4-6 in their last 10 games, including a 10-1 loss to Colorado in their previous game, and eight games under .500.
Let the games begin.
The Mets have one of the best offensive lineups in Major League Baseball and quickly got out in front of their rivals and hosts. After two innings, the Mets were ahead 3-0 after getting a first-inning solo home run from Juan Soto (14) and picking up two more runs in the second inning after centerfielder Tyrone Taylor’s loop double fell in front of Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna. Starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach, who was coming off a complete game victory during his previous start, was up to 38 pitches after two innings of work. Mets starter David Peterson threw his 38th pitch in the third inning. That pitch was a fastball that Braves first baseman Matt Olson hit into centerfield to drive in Ronald Acuna, Jr. and the Braves’ first run of the game.
The Braves’ bats were quiet for some time after that Olson RBI. Centerfielder Michael Harris, who has had his troubles at the plate this season but remains second on the team in RBI (41), struck out twice to begin the game. First baseman Austin Riley joined him with a strikeout in the sixth inning. Riley was 0-3 to start the game before his walk-offsac fly.
Acuna only managed a single on Tuesday night, but he walked three times, including an intentional walk in the 10th inning. His heroics took place in the field when he caught a Pete Alonso fly ball that continued to drift towards the right field wall. That hit would have ended the game for the Braves, as there were Mets on base when it happened.
“Every win matters,” Acuna, Jr. said as his kids played during his post game interview. “Every win is important.”
Schwellenbach gave up four earned runs during his seven innings of work. His counterpart for the evening, Peterson, left the game with two runners on in the eighth inning, and Braves leftfielder Alex Verdugo at the plate. Verdugo, who pinch hit for Eli White, would single to load the bases for Olson.
With bases loaded and no outs, the Braves were having trouble scoring after Olson struck out and Riley popped up, but Marcel Ozuna’s double with two strikes allowed all three runners to score and tie the game at four.
Tuesday’s game was the first of 13 straight against fellow National League East teams. The Braves and Mets will meet seven times in the next two weeks, with four of those games taking place at Citi Field, where the Mets are 27-10 this season.
Following the loss Tuesday night, the Mets are a more pedestrian 18-18 on the road this season.
