Game 61 of 162
Braves 6 Mets 4 (Truist Park, Atlanta, GA)
Mets record: 30-31
Mets streak: Lost 4
WP - Bryce Elder (4-0)
LP - Drew Smith (3-3)
SV - Raisel Iglesias (8)
Seat on the Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Sean Murphy's two run double in the 6th inning keyed a four run rally to put the Braves in front for good and send them to a 6-4 victory, and send the Mets to their fourth straight loss.
Need to Know
The game was delayed for an hour and 40 minutes due to the threat of rain.
Hitting coach Eric Chavez was ejected from the game in the third for arguing balls and strikes from the bench.
After the Braves took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a home run by Ozzie Albies, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso both hit two run homers to give the Mets a 4-1 lead in the third. For Lindor, it was his first extra base hit since May 30th when he homered against Philadelphia. For Alonso, it was his league leading 22nd home run of the season.
The first five innings of work for Carlos Carrasco were very good as he gave up one run on four hits and a walk. But to lead off the 6th, Carrasco gave up a walk and two doubles, knocking him out of the game.
Drew Smith came in for Carrasco in the 6th and gave up a game tying double, a wild pitch, and an infield single to give the Braves the lead.
The Mets are now 4-12 in their last 16 games at Truist Park.
Turning Point
Probably the entire bottom of the 6th. Carrasco proved that leadoff walks can kill you, as he walked Matt Olson to start the inning. Then after a double to Austin Riley (which should have been a single as Riley took second base on Jeff McNeil throwing to the wrong base), Sean Murphy delivered what was the turning point of the game:
The hit knocked Carrasco out of the game and set the wheels in motion for another Mets loss.
Three Keys
Hitting: When the Mets scored four runs in the 3rd inning off Bryce Elder, who came in with an ERA of 1.92, the Mets seemed to be on their way. But they let Elder off the hook as he went six innings, and after that 3rd inning the Mets had one his the rest of the way. They still had chances in the 7th and 8th, as runners reached on errors and walks. But in the 7th after Starling Marte reached on a Riley error, Brett Baty hit into a double play. And in the 8th, they wasted a walk by Brandon Nimmo and a wild pitch with sent him to second when Jeff McNeil flied out to left to end the inning. The brownouts that the Mets offense has been prone to this season have been frustrating.
Drew Smith: Smith had a little bit of Rick Vaughn in him on Tuesday. He threw 17 strikes in 25 innings, but he had a wild streak. He was bailed out for the first out of the inning when Eddie Rosario swung at his eyes for strike three. Then after getting Albies to pop up, Smith gave up a game tying double to Marcell Ozuna. Smith then threw a wild pitch which sent Ozuna to third before Orlando Arcia crushed a ball up the middle that Eduardo Escobar smothered for an infield hit. Ozuna scored easily as a result of the wild pitch.
Smith had a 1.88 ERA on May 12th. Since then (and not including tonight), Smith's ERA was 7.17 in six and 1/3 innings spanning seven appearances. After tonight, his ERA for the season is now 3.74.
Jeff McNeil: McNeil had a tough day in left field. His throw to the wrong base which sent Riley to second base enabled Riley to score on Murphy's double. Then in the 8th while clinging to a one run lead, Rosario hit a double into the left field corner. McNeil bobbled it not once, not twice, but three times. Rosario took third on the play and scored on a fielders choice (which would have been a double play except Albies was running on the play.) Only a 45 foot single by Arcia kept that run from being unearned due to the error.
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