When Kris Medlen couldn’t hold a multirun lead in the fifth inning Wednesday night, the Braves gave him another. And that time, Medlen made it stand.
Chris Johnson hit a two-out, three-run homer in the fourth inning, and Jordan Schafer used his speed to score the go-ahead run in the fifth in a 5-3 Braves win against the Mets at Turner Field.
“Two-out hitting is clutch hitting, and we’re glad we can do that,” Johnson said of that category in which the Braves have not excelled. “But we’re mainly just glad we got the win and evened the series, so we can try to get the W and win the series tomorrow.”
Medlen (4-7) was charged with six hits and three runs in seven-plus innings, only one runs earned because he committed a throwing error in the three-run fifth inning, on an ill-advised attempt to get an out at third base. He had seven strikeouts and walked none.
“I thought he did a nice job pitching,” said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose qualifier was an indication of his displeasure over Medlen’s fielding decision. “He gave us a great opportunity to win the ballgame, and we did.”
Craig Kimbrel pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 20th save, striking out David Wright and Marlon Byrd before Lucas Duda flied out to end the game.
After losing both games in a doubleheader Tuesday, the Braves bounced back to even the five-game series at two apiece. What had been a scheduled four-game series was expanded to five after the Braves and Mets were rained out May 4.
Atlanta will turn to its ace Mike Minor (8-2) in the series finale Thursday against left-hander Jonathon Niese (3-6).
The Braves have won 17 of their 22 home games and maintained a seven-game lead in the National League East, the largest division lead in the majors. They’ve won 17 of their past 23 games against the Mets.
Johnson staked Medlen to a three-run lead with his two-out homer in the fourth inning off Shaun Marcum (0-9). The margin seemed pretty comfortable the way Medlen had pitched to that point.
The right-hander recorded 12 outs in 12 batters through four innings, allowing only a first-inning single and getting Wright to ground into a double play that inning.
“Other than that play, I felt like I was in control,” Medlen said. “I was jumping ahead of guys and catching both sides of the plate. Anytime I can do that, I can have some success.”
Most of the postgame interview sessions with Medlen and Gonzalez centered around That Play.
After giving up a leadoff single to Sprayberry High graduate Byrd in the fifth, Medlen hit Duda with a pitch. With catcher John Buck up next, Medlen still had a chance to get a double play to get out of trouble.
Buck hit a sharp comebacker that Medlen fielded. Instead of throwing to second to start a double play, he attempted to get the out at third base. Medlen had time and tried to finesse a throw, and the ball sailed wide of Johnson, skipping into left-field foul territory and allowing two runners to score as Buck rumbled to second base.
With many in the crowd of 21,852 appearing stunned by the quick change of fortunes, Kirk Nieuwenheis followed Buck with a single to right field that drove in the tying run. The Braves’ three-run lead didn’t last three outs.
“I’ve never seen that,” Gonzalez said of Medlen’s throw to third. “Maybe if I go back to 10-and-under baseball, I can see that. But I’ve never seen that play done, ever. We score three runs, and all of a sudden it’s a 3-3 game. I hope the kids were in bed by that time.
“In that situation, there’s no rhyme or reason throwing the ball to third base there. We’ve got to throw the ball to second base, get two, and if they get a base hit they score a run with two outs. Believe me, we don’t practice that play (to third).”
Medlen said the ball was hit back to him so sharply, his immediate thought was to try and turn a triple play. He seemed almost embarrassed telling reporters that he was thinking about turning three, as it were.
“The team picked me up big time,” Medlen said. “Can I apologize to every coach I’ve had in my entire life? I mean, I haven’t even gotten text-messages from the coach that always text-messages me after games, because he’s probably so pissed. I mean, it was like I blacked out, I woke up, and the ball was in left field. And I’m like, oh my god.
“You can’t let a big-league team back in the game like that. Just one of those plays that, as you’re making it, you’re like, what the (heck) am I doing? But C.J. was there, I just threw it in the crapper.”
Gonzalez: “It’s not a good play. I don’t care if you or I are running out there. We survived it. He survived it. He was able to get back on the mound and get going. We got the win.”
The Braves put a foot back on the accelerator in the bottom of the fifth, when Schafer led off the inning with a double to the right-field corner.
After a sacrifice bunt and a Freddie Freeman walk — his seventh walk in two days — Justin Upton struck out looking at a pitch that replays showed was inside.
Facing Brian McCann with two out, Marcum threw a wild pitch, and Schafer didn’t hesitate. He already had a big lead off third because the Mets were employing their usual defensive shift against McCann, with third baseman David Wright playing where the shortstop would usually be.
When the ball caromed off Buck and rolled away from him, Schafer raced to the plate and slid headfirst for a 4-3 lead.
“He did an unbelievable job,” Gonzalez said. “They shifted Mac. So that gave an opportunity to Schafe, a little bit more room. Nevertheless, he had great instincts to score on that ball. That ball didn’t get far from Buck, and he was able to score. He’s a heads-up player. You need to be heads-up and have some speed. He has both.”
McCann walked, and B.J. Upton followed by lining a double to center that brought in another run and snapped Upton’s majors-worst 0-for-28 line with runners in scoring position and two outs.
The Mets’ only other scoring threat came in the sixth after a two-out double by Wright. Byrd has been a Braves pest of late, including five hits in the doubleheader, but Medlen struck him out to end the inning.
Medlen has a 2.80 ERA over his past 10 starts, with a 3-4 record in that period. The Braves scored no runs while he was in four of those 10 games and one run while he was in another.
There was no lack of run support for the right-hander Wednesday, and Medlen had only himself to blame for making the game closer than need be. But his teammates had his back, and he made sure the second lead they gave him was enough.
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