Julio Teheran walked the first Met he saw Sunday afternoon, a familiar beginning to an eventually not-so-quaint result: The Braves beating the Mets.
In the 5-4 extra-inning win, the Braves overcame another middling Teheran start to take three of four in the series and move to 6-1 at Citi Field. It was thanks to late heroics from rookie phenom Ronald Acuna, who delivered the go-ahead RBI in the ninth, and Nick Markakis, who won the game with a solo homer in the 10th.
“Just a really hard-fought game,” said manager Brian Snitker, who’s no stranger to late-inning thrillers.
The Braves dragged their way through the first six innings, with Ender Inciarte igniting an offense that appeared frozen for the second consecutive day.
Teheran walked Amed Rosario to start the game. He came around to score. Teheran walked Rosario again in the third. He sprinted home on Jeff McNeil’s double.
It was the 19th time Teheran had walked multiple batters in 22 starts. The former was the 20th first-inning run he’s allowed in those starts, while walking 19 and allowing 19 hits in that frame.
Austin Jackson plastered a changeup into the upper left-field seats, extending the Mets’ lead to 3-0, and triggering social media’s usual Teheran-centric routine.
Just as it appeared Teheran was capsizing, he responded in an unprecedented manner. He homered for the first time in his career, belting a high fastball from Corey Oswalt over the M&Ms logo on the far end of the left-field wall.
“I wasn’t happy with the way I was pitching,” Teheran said. “After I hit the homer, we kind of came together. ... Overall I feel OK.”
Wilmer Flores and Michael Conforto opened the sixth with hits, but the defense held serve. Jose Bautista grounded to third, where the Braves took the out at second and Ozzie Albies fired home to get Flores trying to score. He was under the assumption Albies’ throw was headed to first.
Jackson walked, setting up a two-on, two-out situation that forced Teheran out of the game. Jose Reyes grounded out against Jonny Venters.
Inciarte, regulated to platoon duty due to his first-half struggles, continued his second-half resurgence with three hits. He demolished a ball to right field, a two-run homer that tied the game in the seventh. Inciarte entered the game hitting .304 in 13 games since the All-Star break; a far cry from his 1-for-21 run just before the pause.
Inciarte went so far as to tell Johan Camargo he needed to get on base, because “I’m going to hit a home run today.
“Sometimes the mouth has a lot of power,” Inciarte said.
His third hit ultimately gave the Braves a ninth-inning lead, coming around to score on Acuna’s single. Devin Mesoraco’s homer knotted the game before Markakis homered off Springfield, Georgia native Tyler Bashlor to win it in the 10th inning.
“I’m just looking for a ball over the plate,” Markakis said. “I’m just trying to make hard contact and whatever else happens, happens. He put a ball up in the zone, over the plate. I was looking for a ball up and put a good swing on it.”
While Teheran’s fluctuated since his 2016 All-Star year, he’s usually effective against the Mets. The right-hander had a 2.33 career ERA against them in 23 outings, and a 0.86 mark with 15 strikeouts against six walks in three starts this season.
His busy line Sunday: 5-2/3 innings, five hits, three runs (one homer), four walks, six strikeouts and a balk. Plus the homer, which ended up more than a novelty.
“I knew I was swinging the bat pretty well, better than I was pitching,” Teheran joked. “You don’t know when you’re going to hit it, but you just have fun when you hit it.”
Jesse Biddle recorded his first save, leaving Flores stranded at third after inducing grounders from Bautista and Todd Frazier.
“All of us in the bullpen are ready for that situation,” Biddle said. “My name just happened to be called. I want the ball in my hands in those situations. I was happy that I was able to get the job done.”
The Braves pounded Jason Vargas and slipped by Jacob deGrom before running into Zack Wheeler in game three of the series. The difference between a series-split and taking three of four is spacious in the tight National League East race, where Philadelphia and Washington were also victorious Sunday.
Monday’s off-day is one of four remaining for the Braves. It comes before a four-game series in Washington that begins with a doubleheader Tuesday. The Nationals entered Sunday 4.5 games behind the Braves, and they’re playing well at a time when they’re fighting to keep their postseason aspirations afloat.
