NEW YORK — When the Braves struggle to score runs, they just turn Chipper Jones loose on the Mets.
Jones, batting second, had a double and a home run as the Braves defeated the Mets 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday in front of a sparse crowd at Citi Field. He also drove in two runs in the Braves’ 5-1 victory in the nightcap to complete the sweep. The games were postponed after Hurricane Irene swept through the northeast last month.
In Game 1, Freddie Freeman and Martin Prado each had three hits for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing streak after being swept by the Phillies. In Game 2, David Ross drove in two runs with a home run and a single and Dan Uggla added an RBI single. The Braves increased their wild-card lead to 7 1/2 games over the idle Cardinals. The Braves open a key three-game series in St. Louis on Friday.
In the first game, Jones blasted his 16th home run in the third inning of to tie the score at 4-4. Heyward’s RBI single five batters later gave the Braves the lead for good.
Jones’ 48th career home run against the Mets landed in the upper deck in right field. It tied him with Willie McCovey for the third most home runs all-time against the Mets. Jones trails Mike Schmidt (49) by one for second most behind Willie Stargell (60).
The lineup change designed to get the Braves’ offense an early lead worked right away.
It lasted only a half inning.
The Braves scored three first-inning runs on a two-run double by Freeman and an RBI single by Prado. However, the Mets’ Jason Bay hit a grand slam off starter Mike Minor in the bottom of the first to nullify the lead. Bay deposited the 1-2 hanging curveball several rows deep in right-center field.
“Early on they gave me three runs really easy,” Minor said. “After that I didn’t want to cruise, I wanted to go after guys. What I did was just the opposite. I gave up a couple hits then a walk and then a curveball I flipped in there and he hit a grand slam. I should have went after him with a fastball and make him hit it.”
The Braves took the lead back with two runs in the third inning. After Jones’ homer, Freeman and Prado delivered two-out singles before Jason Heyward singled in the go-ahead run.
“We got some productivity up there with people getting on base,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The Braves had scored only 16 runs in losing five of their past six games. They sent two rookie pitchers to the mound against the Mets: Minor and Julio Teheran in the nightcap.
“It’s not very good timing,” Jones said before the game of the Braves’ offensive woes in the final month of the regular season. “We got two young kids on the mound today that are capable of going out and shutting people down. I’d like to see our offense respond and score some runs, give [the pitchers] some cushion.
“It’s unfortunate when you pick the first week of September to struggle. We haven’t struggled for a long time. We are certainly capable of turning around on any given day.”
They turned it around to the tune of two wins, 11 runs and 18 hits Thursday.
Minor (5-2) worked five innings for his win, allowing only four hits after the first. Teheren (1-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings for his win, allowing only two hits after the first.
“I stayed away from the curveball and threw more sliders just because it wasn’t good today,” Minor said. “The last two outings it wasn’t as sharp as it was early on. I stayed with three pitches. The slider was my breaking ball with the change-up and fastball.”
Michael Bourn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning for an insurance run in the opener. It was needed as the Mets answered with a run off Jonny Venters in the bottom of the inning, a sacrifice fly by Nick Evans.
However, Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his 43rd save of the season. He increased his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 37 2/3. The Braves scored twice in the eighth inning of the second game to take away another save opportunity as Kimbrel warmed in the bullpen.
