The Braves defeated the Mets 4-3 Thursday. They did so in walk-off fashion, with Freddie Freeman delivering the winning hit.
But hours earlier, they did something more impressive. They scored three runs off Mets ace Jacob deGrom in the first inning. Ehire Adrianza led off with a triple. Ozzie Albies’ single scored him. Austin Riley finished the frame with a two-run homer.
“Guys were on the attack,” manager Brian Snitker said. “It was vintage deGrom right there and our guys had a great approach, just really good at-bats. They were ready for him. That’s a tough ride, man.”
Of course, deGrom settled in. He retired the last 18 Braves he faced, ultimately striking out 14 (including eight straight) across seven innings. Yet his ERA rose from 0.69 to 0.95 with the outing.
It’s extremely rare for any team to find such success against deGrom. He hadn’t allowed a first-inning run this season (13 starts) before Thursday. Opponents were 1-for-29 with 20 strikeouts against him in the first frame. He last allowed a first-inning run on Sept. 11, 2020.
Also of note, Adrianza’s triple ended deGrom’s streak of 37 straight retired in the first inning. It was the longest streak over the last 90 years.
All that matters to the Braves: They won the game and series. They defeated the Mets in four of seven games in their recent meetings, helping their efforts to climb back into the National League East race. They entered Friday 3-1/2 games back, the closest they’ve been to New York since June 9.
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