White's big day (HR, 2 doubles) backs Pérez's solid start against Mets

NEW YORK -- Less than 24 hours after learning that Spencer Strider landed back on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation -- adding to the list of Braves stars dealing with ailments -- Atlanta settled back in to grind out a 3-1 win over the Mets on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.

The difference-makers this time around were starter Martín Pérez and right fielder Eli White -- indicative of the type of contributions that have helped the Braves race out to the Majors’ best record (46-24).

Pérez remained flawless against the Mets in his career, securing the win with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts while giving up just four hits and one walk. White notched his first three-hit game of 2026 (his first since May 17, 2025, against the Red Sox), crushing a home run and two doubles to drive in two of Atlanta’s three runs.

The pair of unheralded stoppers -- punctuated by a solo home run by Michael Harris II in the eighth -- helped the Braves halt their losing streak at three, remaining one of two clubs that have yet to lose four straight games this season (the White Sox).

The fact that the boost came from the likes of Pérez and White is not the least bit surprising to manager Walt Weiss.

“Martín’s been great, man, he just carves up lineups,” Weiss said. “And when he does get into a little trouble, he can just navigate out of it -- been one of our better starters. He had more in the tank, but [Juan] Soto is just a different animal. So I wanted one of our leverage guys against him.

“Eli White had a great game for us, really picked us up today offensively. The guys who don't play every day, they’ve been big for us. When they get a chance to play, they help us win games.”

Pérez has handled everything that the Braves have asked him to do so far this year, with the 35-year-old oscillating between relief appearances (four) and starts (10) in 2026. The lefty lowered his ERA to 2.90 with his one-run showing -- his lowest mark through 14 games in his career since 2022 (1.96 ERA with Texas).

Against the Mets on Saturday, Pérez had a largely painless outing. He allowed only three hard-hit balls, forcing soft contact to keep his defense engaged. When he handed the game off to left-hander Dylan Lee, Pérez had given up his only extra-base hit of the day -- a hooked double by Bo Bichette, who scored on a two-out single by Mark Vientos. Pérez’s effectiveness doesn’t seem to wane in any situation: right-handed batters are only hitting .203 against him, and he’s held opposing hitters to a .169 average (13-for-77) with runners on.

“Martín’s so fun to play behind because he pitches to contact a lot of the time,” White said. “He gets the ball and he throws it, you’re never standing out there for long.”

Pérez, like the rest of the Braves, can look around and see the names of starters stacked on the injured list. The ever-present need for healthy arms is something that has motivated him to become a consistent force for Atlanta.

“Especially because I’m healthy, when you’re healthy, you can go out there and do a lot of stuff,” Pérez said. “When you have a team like this one, and they always score and you’ve got no ego here. We’ve got great teammates, great players, great coaches, good manager -- every time you go out there, you’re going to give 100% to the organization.”

White’s showing at the dish was about as perfect as can be, getting the start with lefty Sean Manaea on the hill for New York. He laced an RBI double in the second past a diving MJ Melendez in the right-center-field gap, then followed it up with a Statcast-projected 390-foot home run to left in the fourth inning on a hung slider, giving the Braves a 2-0 lead.

White has only started in 21 of his 40 appearances in 2026, largely operating as a pinch-hitter or a speedy defensive replacement. But that hasn’t stopped him from contributing in the moments he’s called upon (entering Saturday with a 0.4 bWAR) -- a skill that rarely goes unnoticed.

“I’ve kind of been in that role since I debuted, and it’s a hard thing to do,” White said. “But it’s something that I’ve gotten comfortable [with] in that role. I feel like I have a good routine to stay prepared, even if I’m not getting live pitching every day and staying mentally fresh. Just carved a little routine that works for me and try to stick with it.”