The Atlanta Braves lost a disappointing game one to the New York Mets last night and we looking for a rebound behind Martín Pérez who struggled against the Mets in July. Interestingly, Pérez faced the same opponent he did last month, Nolan McLean who pitched a great game.
Pérez had a solid first inning. In the past Francisco Lindor had absolutely dominated him, and so had Bo Bichette. Lindor singled but Francisco Lindor got Bichette to ground into a double play to end the top of the inning. The first did
not go any better for the Braves as McLean sat them down in order.
For some reason the Mets had Luis Robert hitting cleanup, so he led off the second with a pop up. Initially it looked like Jim Jarvis made a great play to get Benge out, but after review he hit a single. After another induced pop up, things got a little messy with a walk to Alvarez. Pérez was able to settled down and strike out off-season acquisition Polanco to end the top of the second. It looked like the Braves may get something going in the second when Harris led off with a single, but then he was caught stealing followed by two more outs.
Pérez got through the third unscathed in terms of runs. He walked his nemesis Lindor, but that was the only offense by the Mets. The third was another inning much like the second. Yastrzemski led off with a walk to look like the Braves may get some offense, but then that was the only base runner.
Pérez continued to look sharp in the fourth. Benge had his second single of the night off of him, but Pérez sat down the rest of the hitters to include a strikeout to Alvarez, avenging the walk he gave up earlier. The Braves continued to look anemic in the fourth. Even Harris, the only payer with a hit to this point for the Braves, struck out. The side was retired. Pérez avenged his teammates in the fifth though, and did he exact same thing. The Mets were sat down in order.
The Braves finally broke through with a single swing of the bat when Albies smoked a no doubter to the chop house on the second pitch he saw to make the score 1-0. It was the only offense of the inning, but it was all that was needed.
In the sixth, we saw some more strand rate magic for Martín Pérez. After a Lindor groundout he gave up a walk followed by a single to put runners on the corners, but then got Benge to ground into a double play, preventing any runs. It is a good thing he did, because yet again the Braves were sat down in order in the sixth.
Didier Fuentes came in to pitch the seventh. Martín Pérez avenged his last start against the Mets with 6.0 innings of four hit ball that were all singles and lowered his season ERA to 2.96. Fuentes sat down all three hitters to include a strikeout. The Braves finally looked like an offense that wanted to win in the seventh after McLean was removed. Olson walked and then advanced on a wild pitch, Harris moved him over to third on a groundout. Albies then walked. Dubón then did what he does best, have clutch contact by recording a sac fly to make the score 2-0. Lane Thomas then came in to pinch hit and walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, but then Robert made a fantastic leaping grab at the wall to rob Riley of a two RBI double.
Dylan Lee came in to pitch the eighth and did Dylan Lee things by retiring the side to include a strikout to lower his ERA to 1.99. The eighth inning is where the Braves iced it. Jarvis was retired but then Baldwin walked. Acuña hit the balled extremely hard, but Robert made another fantastic read on the ball. Then, Matt Olson stayed red hot and hit an absolute tank of a two-run bomb to make the score 4-0. His HR went 423 feet.
Harris singled and Albies did his signature pop up to end the eighth. Iglesias came in the game and had no problem sitting down three hitters with a four run lead. He had struggled some this season in those situations so it was nice to see him come through.
The key to the game was Martín Pérez limiting hits and the offense coming through against the bullpen. The Braves look to do it again tomorrow.
