Mets 7, Braves 1

How the game was won: The Mets had only one hit until the fifth inning, when they scored four runs (three earned) against Braves pitcher Trevor Cahill and rolled to a 7-1 series-opening win at Citi Field, the ninth in a row for the division-leading New Yorkers. Cahill (0-2) retired 12 of the first 14 batters, but the wheels came off the wagon in the fifth when the Mets peppered him with ground-ball singles and took advantage of a big error by second baseman Phil Gosselin on a would-be double-play grounder by Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese. Cahill left without recording an out in the inning.

Number: 6. The number of Mets batters who reached base consecutively to start the sixth inning and chase Cahill from the game. A leadoff walk was followed by two singles, Gosselin's error and two more singles

Next: The teams play the second game of a three-game series Wednesday night, when Braves lefty Eric Stults (6.39 ERA) faces Mets right-hander Dillon Gee (7.59 ERA).