The Braves were off Thursday but they still lost a little ground in the NL East race.

The first-place Mets, who are 90-55, beat the Pirates 7-1 in New York and increased their lead over the second-place Braves to one game. The Braves (88-55) have one advantage however in that they have played two less games than their rivals.

The Braves went 4-4 on their West Coast road trip that ended Wednesday night, but have lost four of their last five games.

The Mets halted a five-game home losing streak and rebounded from a three-game sweep by the Chicago Cubs in New York.

The Braves begin a three-game home series against the Phillies (80-63) on Friday night. The Mets have three more games against the Pirates (55-89) this weekend.

New York is 6-7 in a 16-game stretch against Washington, Pittsburgh, Miami and Chicago — teams that are all more than 20 games under .500 this season.

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Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. jogs onto the field to warm up before their game against the San Diego Padres at Truist Park, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

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