Braves 5, Mets 1 (Truist Park, Atlanta, Ga.)
Mets Record: 87-70
Mets Streak: L1
Mets Last 10: 6-4
WP: Spencer Schwellenbach (8-7)
LP: Luis Severino (11-7)
Seat On The Korner: Michael Harris II
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.
Tonight's seat on the Korner goes to Michael Harris II, who delivered a standout performance, going 3 for 4 with a single, a double, a home run, and 2 RBIs while also scoring 2 runs. His impressive offensive display was complemented by an amazing defensive play to rob Luisangel Acuña, showcasing the Braves' depth. Harris has been a thorn in the Mets' side since he entered the league; with tonight’s game added to his record, he now boasts a .255 batting average against New York, with 34 hits, 4 home runs, 16 RBIs, and 19 runs scored in 36 career games against the Mets. His ability to contribute on both sides of the ball continues to make him a key player in this heated rivalry.
Need To Know:
55 years ago tonight The Mets won their 96th game of the season that day's victory was the most important of the regular season. With a 6-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at home, the Mets clinched the NL East, becoming the first-ever winners of the new eastern division and their first playoff berth in franchise history.
Prior to tonight's game Ronald Acuna Jr,and Luisangel Acuna swapped jerseys.
Francisco Lindor went through an intense workout prior to the game and is still day to day for his return to the Mets' starting lineup. He was on deck to pinch hit tonight in the ninth but Mark Vientos flied out to right fielder Eli White to end the game.
The Braves and Mets opened what they hope will be a three-game midweek series however the weather forecast does not look promising .
The Braves now lead the season series agianst the Mets having won six of the eleven games between the clubs the season.
The Braves have taken the season series from the Mets for six consecutive seasons...Prior to last year’s 10-3 mark, they went 10-9 in both 2022 & 2021, 7-3 in 2020, 11-8 in 2019 and 13-6 in 2018...Since the start of the 2018 season,Atlanta is 66-43 (.606) against New York overall.
Atlanta went 5-1 against New York at Truist Park last season, but did drop the only series between the clubs this year...The Mets won two-of-three in April...Since Truist Park opened in 2017, the Braves are 37-25 against the Mets in their home park..
J.D. Martinez who struck out in a pinch-hitting appearance in the eighth inning of Sunday's game is now 0 for his last 32, and was not in the starting lineup.
Jose Iglesias extended his current hitting streak to 17 games It is the second-longest hitting streak of his career and is the longest streak by a Mets player this year...He is now batting .404 (27 for 67) over that span, with 13 runs, four doubles, one home run, three RBIs, and one stolen base.
The Mets' magic number to clinch a playoff berth is still 5. Winning the next two games in Atlanta would secure a postseason berth since the Mets would also secure the season series tiebreaker with that result.
The Mets are in a stretch of 13 straight games against their division...They are 7-4 in that span...The Mets are 29-21 against the NL East this season...After starting the season 3-6 against the NL East, the Mets have gone 26-15...The Mets have not dropped three straight games against the division in that span.
Turning Point:
The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the third inning, when the Braves took full advantage of a series of mistakes and timely hitting. It seems like every time the Mets play a crucial game in Atlanta, the Braves have an inning where everything goes their way, and tonight was no different. It all started with a ground ball off the bat of Orlando Arcia, who reached second on a throwing error by Luis Severino. Michael Harris II quickly capitalized, driving in Arcia with a double to right. Ozzie Albies followed up with an RBI single, scoring Harris and advancing to second. While Severino managed to get a couple of outs, a walk to Matt Olson and a single by Ramón Laureano brought in another run, pushing the lead to 3-0. By the time the inning ended, the Braves had built a lead that felt insurmountable, continuing their knack for delivering crushing blows to the Mets in key moments.
Three Keys:
Spencer for Hire: Rookie Righty Dominates Mets in Crucial Win
Righthanded rookie Spencer Schwellenbach continued his dominance against the Mets, making the 20th start of his major league career and his second against New York. In his first outing on July 27 at Citi Field, Schwellenbach tossed 7.0 scoreless innings, striking out a career-best 11 batters in a 4-0 Braves victory. Tonight, he once again went 7 strong innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 run—a solo home run by Mark Vientos, his 26th of the season. Schwellenbach struck out 4 and walked just 1, earning his 8th win of the year. It may have been the biggest of his career, as the victory moved the Braves to within one game of the Mets in the wildcard race.
3rd Time Certainly Not A Charm
The season series between the Mets and Braves has been tightly contested, with Atlanta now holding a slim 6-5 advantage. However, the Braves have dominated the most recent matchups, winning the last three games by a combined score of 18-3. Atlanta’s pitching and timely hitting have been the difference-makers, as they’ve shut down the Mets' offense while piling on runs in key moments. This recent surge has given the Braves momentum in the race and made the final stretch of the season series pivotal for both teams.
Not Quite Sevy Heaven
Luis Severino has been a solid performer throughout the season, making his fifth career start against the Braves, including two earlier this year. Coming into the game with a 1-1 record and a 3.15 ERA (7 ER/20.0 IP) all-time versus Atlanta, Severino had been impressive in his previous outings, allowing just two runs over 5.0 innings in each of those games, both of which the Mets won. However, tonight's matchup proved challenging for the 6-foot-2, 218-pound right-hander, as he pitched only 4 innings, giving up 4 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5. With tonight's performance, Severino's all-time stats against the Braves now stand at 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA (11 ER/24.0 IP). Despite this setback, he has now won 4 of his last 5 decisions, dating back to August 17, with a record of 4-1 and a 2.82 ERA over those starts.
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