3 takeaways: Freddie Freeman, Josh Donaldson power Atlanta Braves to series win

The Atlanta Braves continue their scorching hot streak with a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets, winning their fourth consecutive series and pushing their record to 14-4 for the month of June.

It was a well-rounded victory for the first-place Atlanta Braves, backed by solid starting pitching and a powerful middle of the lineup.

Starter Max Fried, who came into Wednesday’s game having struggled of late, was far more effective against the Mets.

The Braves’ bullpen was equally as impressive, pitching three shutout innings and squashing any hopes of a Mets comeback.

The real difference-makers of the night came from the three and four spots of the Atlanta lineup, as Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson each clubbed a two-run bomb as the Braves offense continues to score at an impressive clip.

Atlanta actually tallied five extra-base hits on the night, with three doubles to go with the Freeman and Donaldson homers.

One of those doubles was of the pinch-hit variety, as Nick Markakis smashed an 8th inning pitch to drive in two more runs.

The win in the rubber match pushes the Braves’ overall record to 44-31, tying a season-best 13 games over .500. It also gives Atlanta a 7-2 mark in its last 9 games versus NL East opponents, as the Bravos have pushed their division lead to four games.

That recent trend of success within the division will have to continue in the near future, as 12 of the Braves’ 16 remaining games before the All-Star Break come against teams from the East.

Here are three of our biggest takeaways from Atlanta’s series finale against the Mets.