Brett Baty’s first-inning grand slam set the pace and the visiting New York Mets held on to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
The Mets ended Atlanta’s nine-game home-field winning streak and improved their record against the Braves to 7-4. New York has won six out of seven games on its nine-game road trip.
The Mets put up five runs off Bryce Elder in the opening inning. Bo Bichette had a one-out run-scoring single, and with two outs, Baty hit the first pitch he saw for a 407-foot grand slam to center field. It was his eighth home run of the year.
Francisco Lindor went 3-for-5 and added a home run to help the Mets’ 12-hit attack. Jared Young had two hits and two RBIs, and Francisco Alvarez added two hits.
Elder (8-7) worked five innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits, two of them homers, and three walks while striking out four. The result ended a string of 18 consecutive games in which Atlanta starters allowed three runs or fewer.
Despite the early lead, Mets starter Christian Scott lasted only four innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk, and he struck out six.
Daniel Duarte (1-0) followed with two hitless innings. Kodai Senga pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two, to earn his first career save.
The Braves cut into their deficit in the bottom of the first on Mauricio Dubon’s two-run single.
New York scored a run in the second on Young’s RBI single and another in the third inning on Lindor’s 11th homer, a 420-foot solo shot into the right field seats.
Atlanta scored twice in the fourth on RBI singles by Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuna Jr., then sliced the gap to 7-5 in the fifth when Michael Harris II scored on Jonathan Pintaro’s wild pitch.
Ex-Brave Cristian Pache replaced Baty in left field in the seventh inning and prevented a run with a long running catch that robbed Ozzie Albies of extra bases.
New York added an insurance run in the ninth on Young’s sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
