Hang 10: Mets rally past Braves to extend streak
NEW YORK -- As injured players continue to populate their training room, the Mets extended their impressive winning streak to 10 straight games on Wednesday night, twice coming from behind to take a 3-2 victory from the Braves at Citi Field.
Lucas Duda put the Mets ahead for good with an opposite-field RBI single off Jim Johnson in the eighth inning, after Wilmer Flores twice came through with game-tying hits. That gave the Mets their first 10-game winning streak since July 5-17, 2008.
"It's been amazing that we can keep coming back in situations where it doesn't look good," manager Terry Collins said. "Yet they continue to play the game out right till the end."
Video: ATL@NYM: Collins on comeback win and extending streak
It also dropped the Braves to their seventh loss in their last 10 games at Citi Field, despite a strong start from left-hander Eric Stults, who retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced while holding the Mets to one run in six innings.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Lagares wows again: Juan Lagares often turns the sensational into the routine in center field, and he did it again in the seventh inning, robbing Atlanta's Jace Peterson of extra bases with an acrobatic over-the-shoulder catch. Peterson drove a Dillon Gee offering deep into the left-center-field gap. Lagares raced back and reached up with his glove as he hit the warning track for the eye-popping grab. More >
Video: Must C Catch: Lagares makes a spectacular grab
Grandy's key walk: Pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson sparked the winning rally with a leadoff walk against Johnson in the eighth inning, moving to third on a hit-and-run with Lagares. Duda followed with his hit to left field, giving the Mets their first lead of the night.
Willing the score even: Twice, Flores contributed game-tying hits with his team down a run. In the second inning, Flores singled up the middle, plating Eric Campbell to knot things at 1. Five innings later, the shortstop homered off Cody Martin to make it a 2-2 game. Since opening the year in a 4-for-25 funk, Flores has strung together a five-game hitting streak with three home runs. He has multiple hits in each of his last three contests.
Video: ATL@NYM: Flores ties it with solo shot, fans fall
Johnson struggles again: Johnson faced five batters and the only two outs he recorded came courtesy of Michael Cuddyer's double-play grounder. The former All-Star closer has retired just six of the 18 batters he has faced while allowing five runs in his past three appearances (2 2/3 innings). The Braves' bullpen allowed just two runs through this season's first seven games. But this suspect relief corps has surrendered 16 runs over the past seven games (26 innings). More >
Gee, whiz: Battling for his rotation job, Gee contributed seven innings of two-run ball. It was his first start since the Mets announced that Rafael Montero will enter the rotation next week in Miami, with the potential to stick there if he performs well. More >
Video: ATL@NYM: Gee strikes out three over seven innings
QUOTABLE
"They got a leadoff walk in the eighth and a hit-and-run and the ball doesn't go 70 feet, and they get first and third out of it. But good for them. When you run 10 [wins] in a row in the big leagues, a lot of good stuff's got to go right, and it's going right for them right now." -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
• Eric Young Jr. helped the Braves gain a 2-1 lead when he tripled and scored on Alberto Callaspo's sacrifice fly in the first inning. But Young has provided minimal contributions in the leadoff spot as his .225 on-base percentage attests. Five of the seven hits he has recorded through 37 at-bats have gone for extra bases (three doubles and two triples).
Video: ATL@NYM: Young Jr. sends a triple to the gap
• This is the ninth double-digit win streak in Mets history. The club has reached a franchise-record 11 straight wins four times, most recently from June 17-29, 1990. The Mets also stand one victory shy of matching a franchise-record 12-game home winning streak, which they have achieved three times -- most recently in 1995-96. More >
REPLAY REVIEW
Lagares nearly recorded his first outfield assist of the season in the second inning, when A.J. Pierzynski tried to score from second on an Andrelton Simmons single. Plate umpire Chris Segal ruled Pierzynski safe, and the call stood after a one-minute, 56-second review.
Video: ATL@NYM: Safe call at home stands in the 2nd
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves: Julio Teheran will start Thursday's 1:10 p.m. ET series finale against the Mets. Teheran surrendered a career-high four home runs on his way to getting a no-decision in Friday's win against the Blue Jays. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four of his past five starts against the Mets.
Mets: Bartolo Colon will put his 3-0 record on the line when the Mets take on the Braves on Thursday afternoon. Not only is Colon undefeated with a 2.25 ERA in three starts, but he also has RBIs in consecutive games at the plate, after going nearly 10 full years without one.