For the first time all season Braves right-hander Julio Teheran has made two quality starts in a row at SunTrust Park. That wasn’t enough for him to earn a win against the Mets but two rookies lifted the Braves to victory.
Pinch hitter Rio Ruiz’s game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning sent the Braves to a 3-2 victory on Friday. The Braves earned their third straight victory and fifth in the last seven games.
Swanson beat the Padres with a walk-off single in April at SunTrust and now Ruiz matched him with his first career walk-off hit.
“That’s really cool,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That’s kind of why we keep doing this and keep coming and grinding through all of this. It’s good to see those young guys getting opportunities and coming through.”
Swanson started the game-winning rally with one out in the bottom of the ninth when he hit reliever Fernando Salas’ 0-2 pitch through the middle of the infield. Center fielder Curtis Granderson was slow to get to the ball so Swanson accelerated around first base and slid in for a double.
Josh Edgin replaced Salas and Ruiz smacked his first pitch through the left side of the infield to score Swanson. It was the first game-winning hit for Ruiz, who was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett last month.
Ruiz said he went to the plate looking to swing.
“Anybody in the bullpen in the big leagues is going to be nasty,” he said. “So I just went up there aggressive and hunting something out over the plate and luckily I was able to put the ball in play and score Dansby.”
Swanson hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth before the Mets tied it 2-2 on Travis d’Arnaud’s solo homer in the seventh. That cost Teheran a chance at his second win in seven home starts.
Teheran held the Mets to one run over six innings, Curtis Granderson’s solo homer in the third. In Teheran’s previous home start he limited the Pirates to zero earned runs over six innings before the bullpen faltered.
Teheran entered Friday with an 8.40 ERA in six home starts, worse in the majors by nearly a run. His 2.95 ERA in six road starts tied for 14th best in the big leagues.
“I’m never going to lose my confidence,” Teheran said. “That’s the last thing that I think I’m going to lose. I’m just trying to keep my mind strong and I think today’s outing is going to be good for my next one.”
The Braves couldn’t solve Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, who gave up six runs in five innings against the Pirates in his previous start.
The Braves managed four hits (all singles) with no runs against Harvey over five innings. They stranded six base runners against Harvey and their Nos. 1-5 hitters were 2-for-12 with a walk.
The Braves did make Harvey use 104 pitches to get through the five innings, though, and they broke through against Mets reliever Paul Sewald in the sixth.
Matt Kemp doubled to lead off against Sewald. After Matt Adams struck out and Kurt Suzuki popped out, Mets manager Terry Collins intentionally walked Danny Santana to get to Swanson, who entered the game hitting .208.
Swanson laid off a good fastball to even the count and then rapped a line drive to left field to score Kemp and Adams. The Mets evened the score in the top of the seventh with d’Arnaud’s homer, and then Ruiz won it with his big hit.
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