When Dansby Swanson led off the 10th inning with a single, it gave the heralded rookie four consecutive multi-hit games and gave the Braves a prime opportunity to end a four-game skid. They didn’t waste it, and gave A.J. Pierzynski a memorable night in what might have been one of the final starts of his long career.
Pierzynski’s single put runners on the corners Adonis Garcia delivered a two-out single to give the Braves a 4-3 walk-off win against the New York Mets before a crowd of 47,841 on Chipper Jones bobblehead night at Turner Field.
Afterward, teammates dumped a bucket of ice water on Pierzysnki and took turns hugging the 39-year-old catcher, whose son came on the field to celebrate with him. Pierzynski was coy in responses to questions regarding retirement — he wouldn’t say if this was his last game.
“I don’t know the answer to that question,” said Pierzynski, who made his first start since Aug. 13. “It’s been discussed obviously, but I don’t know. I just hadn’t played in a while. Couple of big plays and a hit, guys were happy and glad we won, but as far as me, I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring, but if that’s it, then it was fun.”
As for the Major League Baseball representative near the dugout to authenticate the ball after Pierzynski’s 10th-inning single, it was the Braves who asked for that, not Pierzynski.
Pierzynski also made a big play at the plate in the eighth inning, taking a strong throw from right fielder Nick Markakis and tagging out Wilmer Flores trying to score from second on T.J. Rivera’s two-out single with the score tied.
The Braves began to assert themselves offensively before the trade for Matt Kemp, but since he arrived their lineup has been a different machine altogether. Kemp hit his 30th home run and drove in two runs Saturday.
Swanson had leadoff singles in the seventh and 10th innings to give him eight multi-hit games in 18 starts at shortstop since he was called up from Double-A. After he singled in the 10th off right-hander Erik Goeddel, Swanson advanced on a wild pitch and went to third on Pierzynski’s opposite-field single to left.
“I was hoping it would win the game and get us out of there, but Adonis coming up with two outs and getting a huge hit was great,” Pierzysnki said. “I’m happy for him and I’m happy for Dansby, the way he’s been swinging the bat. It’s fun to watch those kids out there play the way they play and the energy they play with. It’s good for the Braves.”
Pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers struck out and the Mets brought in lefty Josh Smoker to face Ender Inciarte, who popped out to shallow left field before Garcia lined a single up the middle to bring the Braves racing from the dugout to mob him between first and second bases.
Braves starter John Gant had a good outing until two out in the fifth inning, when the rookie gave up a go-ahead homer by Yoenis Cespedes and walked the next two batters, one intentionally after a wild pitch opened first base.
Brandon Cunniff replaced him and got out of the jam with a two-pitch fly-out from Wilmer Flores, and Kemp tied the score an inning later with a long home run to left field, his second in as many nights and fourth in the past eight games.
Kemp has 11 RBIs in the past 10 games and seven homers and 27 RBIs in 37 games since joining the Braves on Aug. 2 after a trade from San Diego for Hector Olivera.
The Mets scored two runs in the first inning without getting a hit, taking advantage of a leadoff walk by Jose Reyes and errors by infielders Jace Peterson and Adonis Garcia. Gant was charged with four hits and three runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings, with four walks (two intentional) and six strikeouts.
Mets starter Bartolo Colon, ancient but still effective, worked six innings and gave up four hits, three runs and one walk. The Braves got a run in the first on a leadoff double by Inciarte and Kemp’s sacrifice fly, and Nick Markakis’ leadoff homer in the fourth inning tied the score, 2-2.
“We beat a good team today, good pitcher,” Kemp said. “And we’ve got to go to sleep, wake up and come back and do it again tomorrow.”
The scored was tied again, 3-3, when Flores hit a two-out double in the eighth, then tried to score on T.J. Rivera’s single to right field. Pierzynski caught Markakis’ throw on the first-base side of the plate and moved quickly over to tag Flores, who slide head-first into Pierzynski’s shin guard and left the game with a neck contusion.
“Nick made a great throw,” Pierzynski said. “That’s the (play that catchers) used to get blown up on, but because they changed the rules, it took me right into him and you saw why you don’t slide head-first. I hope he’s OK, obviously. Huge play in the game.”
Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman’s third-inning single extended his hitting streak to 16 games and his on-base streak to career-high 32 games.
For Kemp, it’s his second 30-homer season and his first since 2011, when he hit .324 and led the National League in homers (39) and RBIs (126) for the Dodgers and finished second to Ryan Braun in the league MVP balloting. Kemp is three RBIs from his second consecutive 100-RBI season and fourth of his career.
