Atlanta Braves fall to Mets 4-1 behind gem from Max Scherzer
Game one of an important series between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets lived up to the billing…for the most part. It featured some great pitching and timely hitting, but the Braves came up short against the first place Mets 4-1.
Newly minted All Star Max Fried got the start for Atlanta Braves. Entering the game, Fried had a 2.52 ERA, the sixth lowest in the National League. He faced off against a fellow Max in Max Scherzer. This would be the future Hall of Famer’s second start since returning from an oblique strain that sidelined him since May.
Former Met Robinson Canó, acquired yesterday in a trade with the San Diego Padres, made his Braves debut tonight. The eight-time All Star played with New York for three seasons before being released this year. He would finish tonight’s game 2-for-3 with two singles.
The game was scoreless until the third inning when Pete Alonso hit a double off of Max Fried to score Brandon Nimmo. Luis Guillorme would later leg out a fielder’s choice to score Alonso, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Fried did not have his best stuff tonight, but managed to hold the Mets to two runs in five innings with five strikeouts.
Scherzer, meanwhile, dominated the Atlanta lineup. He allowed just one hit through his first six innings of work. The Braves offense showed some life in the seventh inning, as Austin Riley smacked his team leading 24th home run to put Atlanta on the board. Marcell Ozuna followed that up with a double, but Scherzer would strike out Eddie Rosario to end the inning.
Canó and Ronald Acuña Jr. had back to back two out hits in the eight inning, but Dansby Swanson was unable to bring them home.
The Mets added a couple of late inning runs before closer Edwin Diaz entered the game looking for his 19th save, which he would easily get by striking out the side.
Max Fried suffered his third loss of the season, dropping his record to 9-3. Max Scherzer picked up his sixth win.
The Braves and Mets will face off tomorrow at 7:20, with Charlie Morton going up against Chris Bassitt.