Spencer Strider closer to returning to form, as Braves rally to beat Mets

Even after losing control with a three-run fourth inning that saw eight Mets come to the plate, Strider regained command for a perfect final frame. The rally began with a one-out, four-pitch walk to Juan Soto — which Strider said he did not have an issue with — but then a lack of execution prolonged the inning.

“Obviously needed to be better in that inning,” Strider said. “But I thought (the) mentality was right. I made good pitches, but they had some good takes. And I didn’t execute enough.”

The inconsistencies are normal for a starting pitcher still looking to return to his All-Star form after an internal brace procedure, but the subtle signs — highlighted by his fastball command — prove Strider is heading in the right direction.

And it didn’t hurt that the offense backed him with a five-run sixth inning.

The Braves turned what was trending to be another offensive dud into a seven-run performance. They plated five runs in the sixth inning and gained contributions from the entire lineup.

After the Mets made a pitching change, Marcell Ozuna, Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin all earned walks to load the bases for the bottom of the Braves’ batting order.

The four hitters entered the game on dreadful runs — batting .229 as a group with 12 combined home runs — but good situational hitting paid off. Ozzie Albies notched a sacrifice fly to right field, and Eli White beat out a pinch-hit, infield single to cut the Mets’ lead to one.

Michael Harris II then earned his first free pass in 16 games with a hit-by-pitch — manager Brian Snitker said it “stung him” near the elbow and the club will need to see how sore he is on Wednesday — and nine-hole hitter Nick Allen tied the game with his third single of the evening.

“You’ve got to get two-out hits if you’re going to win games,” Snitker said. “They were few and far between, but now it’s getting back to baseball again.”

Matt Olson capped off the rally with a single into right field that put the Braves ahead by two runs, and two eighth-inning doubles from Olson and Riley added insurance.

And all of a sudden, the Braves went from looking lifeless against Mets starter Frankie Montas, who threw a scoreless season debut, to possessing bats hotter than the 97-degree first pitch temperature — the hottest in ballpark history — against their bullpen.

“It feels like our brand of baseball,” said Olson, who finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk. “It’s kind of been the difference of just rolling some stuff together on offense. We’re piecing one or two hits in the inning, and then do it again the next inning.”

Olson can get overshadowed by bigger stars on the team, none bigger than Ronald Acuña Jr., and fellow first baseman having impressive offensive seasons across the league, but he has quietly put together a solid first-half for the Braves.

Defensively, he leads all first basemen in outs above average and ranks 12th in MLB. He is also riding a career-high 25-game on-base streak, which is the longest active one in MLB, and is on pace to hit 31 home runs with 108 RBIs.

“He’s just one of those guys that it’s never going to surprise you when he does go 30 (home runs) and 100 (RBIs),” Snitker said. “He’s that good.”

The Braves’ victory extended their winning streak against the Mets to six straight games — with a 28-10 mark dating back to Aug. 18, 2022 — and they will try to take the series on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.