The Mets welcomed the Braves to Citi Field with a 7-5 victory to open the series against the division leaders.
The dynamic duo of Bo Bichette and Juan Soto went back-to-back in the first inning to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead against their rivals. After Nolan McLean labored in the second and Atlanta tied the game, MJ Melendez doubled with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. That ended up being a key play in the game since the team went on to load the bases for Bichette who blasted his second home
run of the game.
Bichette’s grand slam also saved McLean who stayed in game once staked to a four-run lead. It still wasn’t easy for the righty but he didn’t give up any more runs outside of the second inning. In that inning he threw 42 pitches and gave up RBI hits to old friend Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski. After the two runs came home, the Braves loaded the bases with nobody out but he escaped without further damage by getting two strikeouts and a pop up. His night was done when he was unhappily pulled after four innings. McLean walked four and struck out six in his brief outing and then the game was in the bullpen’s hands.
First up was Cionel Pérez who gave up a home run to Matt Olson to allow the Braves to creep closer and after Huascar Brazobán was stellar for 1.2 innings, Brooks Raley was less so. He got just two outs and gave up two runs which forced the team to turn to Devin Williams with the tying runs on base. Williams did allow one of the inherited runners to score, but he got big Rowdy Tellez to fly out for the final out of the eighth inning. In the ninth the tying run again came to the plate, this time in the form of Olson, but Williams struck him out to nail down the save.
The Mets offense had tacked on a run the the fourth but they were held mostly in check after Spencer Strider departed early with right arm soreness. This game ultimately became a battle of the bullpens and while the Mets’ bullpen bent it did not break and they held on for a 7-5 win they desperately needed. Lets go Mets baby. Love da Mets.
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Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette +41% WPA
Big Mets loser: Nolan McLean and Brooks Raley -5% WPA
Mets pitchers: +5% WPA
Mets hitters: +45% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Bo Bichette grand slam in second, +30% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Mike Yastrzemski RBI single in second, -14.2% WPA.
