The Braves and the Mets were locked into a close game for six innings, but things unraveled as Joel de la Cruz allowed five runs to sink the Braves on Sunday afternoon.
Emilio Bonifacio and Ender Inciarte provided the early fireworks against Mets starter Matt Harvey. In the third, Bonifacio singled to reach base, was bunted to second by Matt Wisler, and scored on Inciarte’s single between first and second. Two innings later, something similar played out, as Bonifacio hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a Wisler bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Inciarte to give the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Matt Wisler had a very strange outing, going five innings and allowing two runs on eight hits, but submitting completely to the ball-in-play gods, as he neither walked nor struck out a single batter. He allowed two singles in both the first and second innings, but a double play in the first and flyouts in the second helped him escape. The third featured another double play to erase a baserunner. After a 1-2-3 fourth, the Mets finally got to Wisler and evened the game up in the fifth.
After a one-out single and a sacrifice bunt, Jose Reyes tripled in the first Mets run by rifling an 0-1 pitch into the right-center gap. The next batter, Asdrubal Cabrera, hit a soft liner into center field to tie the game at two apiece, but Yoenis Cespedes lined out to end the frame.
New acquisition Kevin Chapman pitched a scoreless sixth, but the Mets then jumped all over Joel de la Cruz. Two of the first three hitters de la Cruz faced doubled, breaking the tie. Then, with two outs, Curtis Granderson lined a single to right field, scoring the fourth New York run. In the eighth, the Mets’ portion of the inning started with a Chase d’Arnaud fielding error, and after two walks, two doubles, and an RBI single, the Mets were in possession of a 8-2 lead. Evan Phillips came on to replace de la Cruz when the score was 6-2, but allowed the second double and single.
The Braves managed just nine baserunners, and only two extra-base hits, over the course of the game. Flowers, Adonis Garcia, and Tyler Flowers each had two hits. Dansby Swanson went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, while Mel Rojas Jr. went 0-for-3 with a strikeout of his own.
The Braves host the Tigers for a night game tomorrow, where Mike Foltynewicz will get another tune-up against Daniel Norris.
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