If the Braves are going to have to score lots of runs to win in their new ballpark, at least they know they can do it.
The Braves continued their recent offensive surge en route to a 9-7 victory against the Mets on Tuesday. The Braves pounded out 13 hits and drew five walks while earning their fifth victory in seven games since a six-game losing streak.
The Braves scored as many as five runs just five times over their first 18 games. They’ve done it six times in their last seven games while scoring a total of 53 runs during that stretch.
Everyone in the Braves lineup had at least one hit against the Mets, led by center fielder Ender Inciarte’s three hits with three RBIs. After an early-season slump Inciarte is on a seven-game hitting streak in which he’s 12-for-32 with three walks.
The Braves’ run of good offense has coincided with Inciarte’s production.
“It’s a big part of, I think,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “When he’s getting on base we seem to work a lot better, that’s for sure.”
The Braves ended up needing plenty of runs against the Mets. They led 9-3 after eight innings but Jay Bruce hit a two-out grand slam against right-hander Matt Wisler in the ninth. Closer Jim Johnson replaced Wisler and retired Neil Walker to end the game.
The Braves knocked around Mets right-hander Matt Harvey for the second time in as many starts. They got eight hits and six runs over 5 1/3 innings against Harvey on Tuesday after chasing him with six runs over 4 1/3 innings on Thursday in New York
Harvey was 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts this season before facing the Braves. He’s 1-4 with a 6.09 ERA in his past six games against them.
“(Harvey) is a really good pitcher,” Snitker said. “I kind of credit our guys as much as anything.”
The Mets raced out to a lead on Jay Bruce’s two-run homer against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey in the first inning. Freddie Freeman matched it with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning for his 10th homer in 25 games, the quickest he’s reached that mark in his career.
Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera’s lead-off homer in the third inning tied the game before Dickey put the Braves ahead for good in the fourth with a bases-loaded, RBI ground out. Inciarte, who rapped an RBI double in the second inning, followed Dickey’s hit with a two-run single.
Dickey was effective after giving up the two early home runs and limited the Mets to four hits with four walks over six innings. Right fielder Nick Markakis saved a run with a diving catch to end the fifth and Dickey got Juan Lagares to ground into a double play to end the sixth.
“On a scale of one to 10 I probably only had a ‘four’ knuckleball,” Dickey said. “I was trying to manage the game by changing speeds with it a bunch. I gave in a couple times and threw some ‘cookie’ fastballs that they hit homers on.
“They weren’t squaring the knuckleball up for the most part and should have been stubborn with it. But I managed the game enough and we exploded and I’m thankful we did.”
After knocking Harvey out of the game, the Braves continued to pour it on against the Mets bullpen.
The Braves scored three runs in the seventh against Mets relievers Josh Smoker and Ferando Salas. Adonis Garcia hit an RBI single against Salas, who inherited two base runners from Smoker. Dansby Swanson added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and pinch hitter Lane Adams knocked an RBI single for the 9-3 lead.
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