Despite their firesale at the trade deadline the Mets have been playing some inspired baseball of late. That was the case again Monday night as the Atlanta Braves dropped the series opener due to some rocky pitching performances.
Winans got his first MLB win against the Mets last Saturday, but tonight New York turned it around and handed Winans his first MLB loss.
Game Summary
The first inning was as baseball as baseball gets. Everything hit hard found a glove, and the two singles each had exit velocities under 84 mph and negative launch angles. Each team was unable to do anything with thier hits though and we had a scoreless first inning.
The top of the second the Mets kept hitting the ball hard and this time they left the ballpark. DJ Stewart and Rafael Ortega each hit home runs into the Chop House and the Mets got three runs because of it.
Marcell Ozuna saw his career-long hitting streak come to an end yesterday, but he wasted no time starting a new one. This hit was a loud one that left the ballpark for his 25th home run of the season.
The Braves were able to tie the game in the bottom of the third when Michael Harris II smoked a ball that one-hopped the centerfield wall and scored Arcia and Acuña Jr. That’s all the Braves would scratch across and we moved to the fourth tied 3-3.
.@MoneyyyMikeee puts us even!#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/tm1LWZtWGl
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 22, 2023
Winans got back on track and delivered a shutdown inning in the top half of the fourth. Atlanta finally took their first lead of the night on the second home run in as many ABs for the red-hot Marcell Ozuna.
With Marcell Ozuna hitting his 25th (and 26th) homers tonight, this is the FIRST time in franchise history the Braves have had five players with at least 25 homers in a season.#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/BJVM7Vk6Qx
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 22, 2023
Unfortunately, that lead was short-lived as the Mets strung four straight singles to retake the lead. The last of which chased Winans from the game. The final line for Winans was an ugly one: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, and 4 Ks.
Brad Hand came out of the bullpen first and the Mets imimmediately were able to add in a safety squeeze that scored another. Hand struck out the next hitter and New York took a 7-4 lead into the bottom of the fifth.
The Mets really opened the game in the top of the sixth. They got a couple runners on for Lindor and he deposited his 23rd home run of the season to stretch the lead 10-4. In the bottom half Phil Bickford got three more outs and we were on to the seventh.
Sadly Atlanta’s offense couldn’t get anything going in the seventh and eighth inning as Coonrod and Ottovino each pitched a hit less inning. The silver lining on the night was Colin McHugh giving the bullpen a night off with his 3+ innings in relief.
Luke Williams got his first AB with Atlanta and Vaughn Grissom doubled in the ninth, but that was all of the noteworthy things in the final frame. In the end the Braves dropped the first game of the series by a 10-4 score.
Pitchers of Record
W: NYM: Phil Bickford 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 Ks
L: ATL: Winans 4.1 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks
Homeruns
Ozuna 2 (25, 26)
Braves Bullpen
Brad Hand: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Colin McHugh: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Next Game
August 22nd, 2023 vs. NYM 7:20 p.m. ET