Braves Come Up Short Against Mets, Fall 5-3

The Atlanta Braves come up short against the New York Mets Friday night, as they drop the first game of the road series 5-3. Atlanta grounded into three momentum killing double plays tonight, including two from Nick Markakis. The Braves have still yet to win a game on the road against arch rival New York. So many squandered opportunities. Atlanta left ten men on base tonight.

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Neither starting pitcher was especially spectacular. Alex Wood went 6.1 innings, allowing five runs, four earned, walking four and surrendering two home runs. Wilmer Flores and John Mayberry, Jr. both went yard on Wood tonight to left-centerfield. Wood also had a very costly throwing error on a pickoff attempt to second base. That was the tenth error Braves pitchers have committed this season. It’s becoming a problem very quickly as balls are sailing all over the field like it’s Little League.

Bartolo Colon went six innings, allowing two earned runs. He couldn’t last longer than the sixth inning as his pitch count got too high for Mets Manager Terry Collins. Usually Colon gives the Braves all they can handle with nothing but low-90’s fastballs. Though he won his 9th game for the Mets this season, you could tell that Colon didn’t have great command of his fastball tonight. Good pitchers like Bartolo Colon find ways to win games when their command isn’t present.

Atlanta had a ton of runners on base tonight. The Braves out hit the Mets 9 to 7 this evening, with Jace Peterson and AJ Pierzynski leading the way with two apiece. Atlanta drew six walks tonight and had the bases loaded on multiple occasions. They couldn’t drive guys in tonight.

The bullpen actually pitched well tonight in 1.2 innings. David Aardsma allowed the only hit but it was an RBI double off Michael Cuddyer’s bat to score Darrell Ceciliani to make it a 5-3 game. That run belonged to Wood, so the bullpen did not allow an earned run tonight. Nick Masset pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. It’s progress to some extent as the bullpen didn’t hurt the Braves tonight. Stranding runners against a great pitching staff like the New York Mets did.

Runs will be hard to come by in this series I guessing as Jacob deGrom and Braves’ nemesis Dillon Gee, who replaces Noah Syndergaard, are the Mets pitchers for the remaining two games. It looks like Shelby Miller and Mike Foltynewicz have their work cut out for them as the Braves look to keep pace with the first place New York Mets.

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