With two big homers, the Braves on Tuesday evened the series with a 4-1 win over the Mets at Truist Park. Atlanta is 1 1/2 games behind New York.
Here are five observations:
1. In Monday’s series opener, the Braves always seemed a hit away from swinging the game in their favor. They couldn’t convert on multiple opportunities. They lost a winnable game by three runs.
They evened the series in an on-brand way: Matt Olson and Adam Duvall launched two-run home runs in back-to-back innings as the Braves turned a one-run deficit into a three-run lead.
And with those blasts, the Braves electrified a crowd that had been ready to erupt since Monday’s first pitch. The Braves’ offense had only scored a run over the first 14 innings of the series, but Atlanta hit balls hard. The results finally came.
The first two games of the series have been exciting.
“I don’t know if it’s because I was a Braves fan growing up, but it feels like one of those cool division rivalries that, when both teams are good, it’s some special baseball,” Olson said. “That’s a good squad over there. Feel like we got a good squad over here, and come out, try to win the series tomorrow.”
2. The Braves and Mets are both great teams. It’s easy to see why they’ll battle for the National League East’s top spot the rest of the way.
In this win, the Braves displayed what could be an advantage. Atlanta’s lineup features much more power, while New York relies on contact and has the fifth-fewest strikeouts in the majors.
“I think they probably have a few more contact guys than we do,” Olson said. “They’re different lineups. I wouldn’t say one’s better than the other. Sure, if you have more power, there’s more of a chance of one swing impacting the game. But they do a good job of working at-bats, finding holes.”
The Braves rank second in baseball with 136 home runs, while the Mets are No. 19 with 86 homers. Atlanta has four players in the top 24 in homers in the NL: Austin Riley (24), Marcell Ozuna (17), Olson (14) and Dansby Swanson (14).
The Mets have a tough lineup that has made Braves pitchers work through the first two games. The Braves, however, possess more power.
“You look at our lineup versus their lineup, (we) probably approach it very differently,” said Spencer Strider, who allowed a run over 4 2/3 innings. “Everybody in our lineup’s got the chance to take you deep, and that certainly means something when you’re gameplanning.”
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
3. On the first pitch of a sixth-inning at-bat versus David Peterson, Olson fouled back a fastball that was over the middle of the plate but a bit up. Three pitches later, he hit a slider high and deep – it looked to be at least a double off the wall – but it hooked just foul.
On the seventh pitch, Peterson saw a high fastball – like the first offering – and didn’t miss. He pulverized it 426 feet to straightaway center.
“Similar pitch that I missed earlier,” Olson said, “and I was able to get to that one.”
Olson has 14 home runs and 51 RBIs this season.
4. Duvall has hit well in the later innings this season.
His 412-foot bomb off Seth Lugo in the seventh inning gave him five home runs and 15 RBIs in innings seven through nine this year. Of the groups of innings – one through three and four through six are the others – Duvall has hit the most homers and collected the most RBIs in the final three frames.
“I don’t know what it is,” Duvall said. “I like to think that I get better as the game goes. I make any type of little adjustments that I need to based on how they’re pitching me, how they’re attacking me. … I’m not sure if that’s a key to that, but I like to think I get a little better as the game goes.”
5. With two outs in the ninth inning, Duvall looked at the crowd around him.
“It’s cool to see that type of atmosphere, and it’s definitely cool to play in it,” he said. “I was just soaking it in a little bit, because there was definitely some energy in there tonight.”
The Braves on Tuesday recorded their 24th sellout. The games versus the Mets have felt like postseason environments.
Stat to know
85 - Olson is on pace for 85 extra-base hits this season.
Quotable
“It’s a good team there and you want to go out and prove yourself and play good and beat them, but after this series we’ve got (72) games left. … There’s a lot more (games) and a lot more meaningful games to be played down the stretch. We’re taking it day by day here and not putting too much weight into these.” - Olson when asked if this series is a measuring stick for the Braves
Up next
Right-hander Charlie Morton will face New York right-hander Chris Bassitt in Wednesday’s series finale, which begins at 12:20 p.m.
