NEW YORK – The Braves picked up a 9-6 victory over the Mets on Friday at Citi Field. Atlanta, which is 64-43, is 3 1/2 games behind New York.
Here are five observations:
1. The Braves exploded for eight runs over the first two innings. It was the best start for which they could’ve hoped.
“I didn’t feel good,” manager Brian Snitker said. “We scored the eight runs and I told (bench coach Walt Weiss) I’d rather score those runs in the seventh and eighth inning than the first and second. I just have seen it too many times. I’ve been on teams (where) you get down like that early and you got a lot of time to come back.”
It was not pretty. At times, it seemed in jeopardy.
But a road victory against a division rival is a road victory against a division rival.
The Braves scored the first eight runs of the game, then allowed the next five. The Mets swung the momentum and had a real chance to flip the outcome.
2. Alert the rest of the sport: Ronald Acuña might be back.
He looked like himself – as much as he has in any game this season – in the win.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“It’s good because when he gets rolling, watch out, honestly,” Michael Harris said. “He’s one of the greater players in the world and when he gets rolling, it’s going to get really scary.”
Acuña tied a career high with four hits. The fourth, a single in the eighth inning, marked the 500th hit of his young career.
And in the first inning, he made a leaping catch at the right-field wall to rob Pete Alonso of a potential two-run home run that would’ve cut the Braves’ lead in half after Atlanta hung four on Mets starter Taijuan Walker in the first inning.
Something else that’s important: That catch might help Acuña trust his knee more after tearing his ACL last summer.
“To be honest, I would say so,” Acuña said through interpreter Franco García. “I think it was a good play and thankfully, I was able to make the catch.”
3. You could’ve made a prediction for a number of things for this game.
Not sure you would’ve had this: The Braves scored eight runs on Walker, who only recorded three outs over 50 pitches. It’s difficult to draw up that kind of start to a huge game.
In the first inning, Eddie Rosario blasted a three-run homer and Matt Olson hit a run-scoring double.
In the second, Michael Harris launched a solo home run and Dansby Swanson hit an RBI single before another run scored on Austin Riley’s grounder. Then Rosario, who has heated up lately, laced a run-scoring double.
Before Friday, the Mets had held opponents to five runs or fewer in 27 consecutive games. The Braves snapped that streak in the first two innings.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
4. Harris heard Mets fans in left field shouting at Rosario.
“Rosario, you suck!” they yelled, according to Harris.
Harris said Rosario responded by pointing to his ring finger to remind them who won the World Series last year.
During one pitching change, Acuña went over to Harris and asked if the fans had given him a tough time. Acuña said the fans had been crazy for him in right field.
The Braves have enjoyed playing here.
“It was all night,” Acuña said. “But I like that. I like that just because it gives me that motivation to play extra hard.”
“All the motivation to do better,” Harris said. “Obviously, they hate you because it’s a rivalry. You just want to do better in front of them.”
5. The Braves’ offense spotted Ian Anderson an eight-run lead. A night before a doubleheader, the right-hander had a chance to cover a large part of the game and help his team send a fresh bullpen into Saturday.
It did not happen. Anderson had traffic on the bases for much of the night, and only lasted 4 2/3 innings. The Mets chased him during a four-run fifth inning that helped New York climb back into the game.
Anderson allowed four earned runs on seven hits. He walked four batters and struck out three.
“I just think the command problems hurt him, more than anything,” Snitker said. “It’s probably too much in the middle of the plate.”
Stat to know
25 - The Braves have 25 games with at least three homers, the most in the NL and the second most in MLB.
Quotable
“It means a lot. There’s a lot of history between us and the Mets. Got to go out there and try to win this series, dominate early like we did tonight and just try to get three more wins the rest of the series.” - Harris, who grew up in the Atlanta area, on the rivalry with the Mets
Up next
Braves right-hander Jake Odorizzi will make his debut with the club in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, and will face lefty David Peterson. Left-hander Max Fried will face right-hander Max Scherzer in the nightcap. The games are scheduled for 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.
