NEW YORK – Saddled with a four-game losing streak and facing the possibility of being swept by the Mets a four-game series for the first time since 1989, the Braves had the right guy on the mound Thursday in veteran Aaron Harang.
And who could’ve imagined saying that when the Braves signed him off the scrap heap in the last week of spring training?
The Braves scored three runs in the first three innings, and Harang did most of the heavy lifting the rest of the way in a 3-1 series-finale win at Citi Field, moving them back into a first-place tie with the Nationals in the NL East.
Harang (9-6) ran his winning streak to four consecutive starts, allowing four hits, four walks and one run with two strikeouts in seven innings. He has a 0.90 ERA in three starts against the Mets this season, with six hits and two runs allowed in 20 innings.
“He was phenomenal,” said Freddie Freeman, whose first-inning double gave the Braves a 1-0 lead. “He’s the veteran guy who’s been there and done it before. He’s been doing it this whole season for us. And we needed him big tonight.”
After Jordan Walden faced four batters in the eighth and gave up two singles, Craig Kimbrel came in to collect his fourth career four-out save and second this season. Kimbrel struck out pinch-hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis with two on to end the eighth inning, then retired the Mets in order in the ninth for his 28th save in 32 opportunities.
“The more (Kimbrel) can do that, the more we feel comfortable that we can use him in the postseason that way,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of bringing in Kimbrel before the ninth.
Harang had just 59 strikes in 104 pitches, and many of those balls were just off the plate with a purpose in mind.
“The curveball was working well and I was putting my fastballs in the corner and keeping them off-balance,” Harang said said. “Guys were there making plays behind me tonight.”
He gave up gave up nine runs in 4 2/3 innings at Miami on April 30, but Harang has a 2.06 ERA and eight quality starts in his other eight road games, including seven starts with two earned runs or fewer in six or more innings.
“We needed him to go out there and be our stopper tonight and he definitely went out there and did that,” Kimbrel said. “He got out of some big situations in the game and had some efficient innings on top of that. He was able to pitch deep in the game, and we definitely needed him to go out there and have a solid start.”
The Braves were just 5-for-38 with runners in scoring position during their four-game losing streak, and struggled again in those situations early Thursday despite jumping out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and one in the third.
“We got a couple of runs, and then we got another run, and then we had some more opportunities and we didn’t get it done,” said Gonzalez, whose Braves close the first half with a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago starting Friday. “But our defense did a nice job, and Harang did a terrific job. And then Kimbrel coming in to get four outs – that’s not easy. Especially with (runners on) first and second in the eighth inning. But a good all-around team win.”
Andrelton Simmons singled and scored on Freeman’s double, and Freeman scored on Jason Heyward’s two-out single for a 2-0 lead in the first. The Braves had runners on the corners with none out in the third after singles by Simmons and Freeman, but their only run in the inning scored when Justin Upton followed by grounding into a double play.
Harang limited the Mets to one run in the third after they got two hits and a walk from the first four batters of the inning, but it was the fifth inning where the crafty veteran had the most impressive escape of the night.
After Daniel Murphy’s one-out single, Harang was careful not to leave anything over the plate to David Wright (whose RBI single in the third inning had made him 12-for-28 in his career against Harang), and also walked left-handed hitter Lucas Duda. That loaded the bases for Travis d’Arnaud, who had grounded out with two runners on to end the third.
Harang coaxed a routine fly to center field from d’Arnaud to leave the bases loaded in the fifth, preserving a 3-1 lead.
“There were certain situations where you’ve got their big power guys, aggressive hitters that can do damage.” Harang said. “I kind of pitched around them. Kind of pitched around Murph (Daniel Murphy) a little bit. Same with David. But was able to get some of the younger guys to swing at pitches that I was trying to entice them to swing at. I was able to get out of a jam there in the fifth inning.”
Mets starter Bartolo Colon has allowed 11 runs in the first inning over his past five starts, but the third-inning run Thursday was only the fourth run the ancient, stocky right-hander has allowed in all other innings of those past five games.
“The first inning, I think, has given him the most trouble this year,” Freeman said of Colon. “For us to be able to get a couple (runs in the first) and get another one in the third – unfortunately that’s all we scored, but we had enough to give Aaron the boost that I think he needed, so he didn’t have to make the perfect pitch from pitch 1. He did the whole game, but it was nice to get some runs early. J-Hey with the big two-out knock in the first was huge for us in that situation.”
The Braves had opportunities to score more early, but went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the first four innings. They failed to score after getting two on with none out in the second and two on with one out in the fourth.
Harang gave up 20 hits in 15 innings over his past two starts before Thursday, but opponents scored just five earned runs against him in those games. He gave up 11 hits in seven innings at Philadelphia on June 29, but the Phillies only scored twice against him as he worked out of one tight spot after another.
He only had to do that a couple of times Thursday, and Harang didn’t have much trouble getting it done again.
“I still get a little nervous,” Freeman said, smiling as he discussed Harang wiggling out of trouble.”He could just go 1-2-3 and make us all feel a little better. But when he does get in that jam he gets the big outs, gets the big double play when he needs to, and he was pretty phenomenal tonight. We needed him.”
