Braves strike late, rally past Mets in 11 innings
Video: ATL@NYM: Freeman ties it up with two outs in 9th
NEW YORK -- Braves outfielder Cameron Maybin hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the 11th inning Saturday, redeeming his earlier mistakes in a 5-3 win over the Mets at Citi Field.
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Stuck in a tie game in the 11th, the Braves opened the inning with consecutive singles off Carlos Torres, moving both runners into scoring position on Jace Peterson's sacrifice bunt. That brought up Maybin, whom the Mets threw out at the plate earlier in the game. Maybin lashed a single up the middle, giving the Braves a two-run lead.
"It's just fun to win more than anything, especially against these guys," Maybin said in reference to the Mets having had won the past five matchups against the Braves. "They've been playing well against us. We feel like we let them off the hook a few times this year."
Trailing by a run in the seventh, the Mets rallied for three off Braves starter Shelby Miller to put Jacob deGrom in line for his fifth consecutive victory. But with Mets closer Jeurys Familia unavailable due to a heavy recent workload, the Braves made a comeback of their own in the ninth, tying things on a pair of runs against Hansel Robles and Alex Torres. Carlos Torres followed with a scoreless inning in the 10th, before allowing two runs in the 11th.
Video: ATL@NYM: Freeman ties it up with two outs in 9th
"You're not going to win all of them," deGrom said. "We battled back and got a lead and just couldn't hold onto it."
For almost the entire afternoon, the Braves held a 1-0 lead thanks to Freddie Freeman's solo homer off deGrom in the first. Though deGrom held the Braves scoreless for six innings after that, Miller was even better. It was not until the seventh that Miller caved for three runs, creating a final line that was not indicative of how well he pitched.
Video: ATL@NYM: Miller allows three runs over 6 1/3 innings
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Stop and go: Third-base coach Tim Teufel made a snap decision when Curtis Granderson doubled with one out in the seventh, holding Juan Lagares at third. It paid dividends moments later when Travis d'Arnaud singled up the middle to give the Mets their first lead of the game. Granderson scored from second on Maybin's fielding error.
Video: ATL@NYM: d'Arnaud's RBI single gives Mets lead
Ninth-inning rally: Maybin missed a sign when he took the risk of stealing third base in the eighth inning with no outs. Moments later, he was thrown out at home plate attempting to score on Freeman's flyout to shallow left field. But after Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores fumbled Peterson's potential double-play grounder with one out in the ninth, Maybin delivered a two-out RBI single that set the stage for Freeman -- who took a close pitch earlier in the at-bat for a ball, which d'Arnaud said he felt hit the outside corner -- to follow with a game-tying single off Alex Torres. More >
Video: ATL@NYM: Maybin draws Braves closer with RBI single
"That's a double play, we've got a chance to get the game over," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We didn't make the play. We've still got to get an out. We just didn't make the next out."
No deCision: For a long while, it looked as if deGrom's only significant mistake would wind up haunting him. Freeman's monster home run in the first inning landed on the Shea Bridge in right-center field, marking just the second home run deGrom has allowed at Citi Field. He wasn't about to give up another one, striking out nine over seven innings of one-run ball. But Freeman's hit in the ninth forced deGrom to take a no-decision. More >
Video: ATL@NYM: deGrom fans nine over seven dominant innings
A starter closes it: The Braves' bullpen halted its recent woes by limiting the Mets to three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Once closer Jason Grilli completed a perfect 10th, the Braves handed the ball to Monday's scheduled starter, Williams Perez, who pitched around two singles to complete a scoreless 11th inning and record his first save. Perez, who threw just nine pitches, is still scheduled to start on Monday. More >
Video: ATL@NYM: Perez closes out first career save
QUOTABLE
"We didn't know how [Perez] was going to react, but we had no other option but to go to him and he did a nice job." -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, who opted not to use Brandon Cunniff or David Aardsma during Saturday's game because of their recent workload
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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Danny Muno committed three errors for the Mets, tying a single-game franchise record held by 29 others, including fellow third basemen David Wright and Howard Johnson.
Giancarlo Stanton (20) and Ian Desmond (16) are the only players who have homered more frequently than Freeman (15) against the Mets since the start of the 2011 season.
Video: ATL@NYM: Freeman puts Braves ahead with solo shot
REPLAY REVIEW
Prior to getting thrown out at home in the eighth, Maybin stole third base with no outs. Collins challenged the ruling, but the call stood after a two-minute, 51-second review. Moments later, Darrell Ceciliani threw out Maybin at home.
Video: ATL@NYM: Maybin's stolen base stands in 8th
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves: Mike Foltynewicz will take the mound when Atlanta and New York conclude this three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET. Foltynewicz has been inconsistent since making his Major League debut last month. Since allowing two earned runs or fewer in three of his final May starts, he has allowed nine earned runs in the 11 1/3 innings he has completed this month.
Mets: After one turn out of the rotation, Dillon Gee will make a spot start in Sunday's series finale against the Braves. Gee was originally supposed to be a member of the Mets' six-man rotation, before the team scrapped that in favor of a more traditional five-man set.
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