Braves beat Mets with back-to-back homers late

The Braves' Austin Riley circles the bases after his home run off the Mets' Seth Lugo (left).  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Credit: Al Bello

Credit: Al Bello

The Braves' Austin Riley circles the bases after his home run off the Mets' Seth Lugo (left). (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Once upon a time, a long-time Braves third baseman tortured the Mets at every turn. They say history is bound to repeat itself.

Austin Riley homered for the second time in as many nights. This time it was a go-ahead shot in the eighth inning, rewarding the Braves a 5-4 win over the Mets on Saturday and positioning them for a potential sweep in Queens.

“Incredible,” manager Brian Snitker said. “These guys just keep wowing. It’s always someone different, the adversity they overcome over the course of a game. They’re never out of a game. It’s something else.”

After botching a 3-0 lead, the Braves trailed 4-3 entering the eighth. Nick Markakis and Riley homered back-to-back off Seth Lugo, giving the Braves another comeback victory and the Mets, who’ve lost seven in a row, another low point.

The Braves have gone back-to-back nine times this season, most in the majors. Riley’s mammoth homer came on a first-pitch slider. Now at 14 long balls, Riley is two shy of the team’s rookie record for most homers prior to the All-Star break (set by Ryan Klesko, 1994). And that’s after Riley spent his first 37 games in the minors.

“I’m seeing the ball well here (in New York),” Riley said. “The stint I had in Chicago and Washington, I needed this for some confidence. I finally feel like I’m helping the team.”

Riley, while playing left field on a regular basis this season, will wind up the Braves’ third baseman in the long-term. If his first two games in New York are a preview of what’s to come, Chipper Jones will be quite proud.

Not a bad impression in his first-ever trip to New York City.

“This is my first time,” Riley said, grinning. “New York is definitely a different atmosphere than I’m used to. But so far so good.”

As an added bonus, the Phillies and Nationals lost. The Braves lead the National League East by 6-1/2 games and became the second NL team to earn 50 wins. They’re 20-7 in June, the best record in the majors.

“We got 50 wins tonight and that’s pretty incredible,” said closer Luke Jackson, who notched his 13th save. “Let’s go for 100 now.”

Starter Julio Teheran stayed in the game following an hour-and-10-minute rain delay before the third inning. He only survived another 1-1/3 frames, requiring 84 pitches to record 10 outs.

The Braves’ rotation remains its greatest concern. And Teheran its biggest enigma.

Since lowering his ERA to 2.92 on June 13, Teheran has regressed mightily. He allowed 13 earned runs on 17 hits, walking six, in his last two outings before Saturday (eight innings). He was charged only one run in his latest appearance, but allowed a homer, wild pitch and hit two batters.

This is the same pitcher who had a 0.81 ERA in eight starts from May 5 to June 13. The real Teheran lies in the middle of the spectrum, but his unreliability might necessitate the Braves pursuing another starter – despite signing Dallas Keuchel – at the trade deadline.

The Mets loaded the bases with one down in the top of the first. Teheran escaped with a liner and strikeout. He survived bases-loaded stakes again in the second after hitting back-to-back Mets. He finished the first two innings at 50 pitches.

Snitker rolled with Teheran after the extended delay. The righty retired two hitters before Dominic Smith launched a homer to the left of the apple in center field. Amed Rosario opened the fourth with a double and scored on Jeff McNeil’s two-bagger.

Teheran then walked Pete Alonso to end his night. For as effective as he was during his eight-start run, this was a step back. Teheran hasn’t gone deep in games, but the Braves had an idea what they’d get with him on the mound. The last trio of appearances fairly casts doubt on any expectations.

The Braves and Mets will wrap up their series Sunday night on ESPN. Max Fried, who like Teheran is trying to replicate earlier success, will face Noah Syndergaard. The Braves are 6-3 on their 10-game road trip.