DJ Stewart snapped a season-long hitless streak by delivering a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning Monday night for the visiting New York Mets, who overcame an early four-run deficit to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7.
The Mets have won three of four games to begin their first road trip of the season. The Braves had their three-game winning streak snapped in the opener of a four-game series.
Ozzie Albies (two-run double) and Marcell Ozuna (two-run homer) staked the Braves to a 4-0 lead in the third before Starling Marte began the Mets’ comeback with a fourth-inning RBI single.
New York’s Brandon Nimmo hit the first of his two game-tying homers, a three-run blast in the fifth inning, before Travis d’Arnaud put the Braves ahead with a run-scoring double in the sixth. Nimmo hit a solo homer to center in the seventh.
The Mets finally took the lead against Pierce Johnson (2-1) in the eighth, when Brett Baty singled with one out and Stewart — hitless in his first 19 plate appearances — hit a two-out homer to center.
Jeff McNeil walked and Tyrone Taylor singled before Nimmo provided a key insurance run with an RBI single off Jesse Chavez. Nimmo finished 4-for-4 and with a career-high five RBIs.
The Braves nearly came back in the final two innings. Albies worked a bases-loaded walk against Drew Smith in the eighth before Austin Riley hit into an inning-ending forceout.
Jorge Lopez earned his first save during an eventful ninth. Matt Olson led off with a double and Taylor saved a run by making a leaping catch of a long fly to left by Ozuna. Olson tagged up and went to third before scoring on Michael Harris II’s single.
Harris stole second, but Lopez got Orlando Arcia to pop out before retiring d’Arnaud on a flyout to the warning track in right field.
Jake Diekman (1-0) gave up one run in his one inning but earned the win.
Julio Teheran, making his Mets debut after signing with the team last week, allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 2 2/3 innings.
Braves starter Charlie Morton gave up four runs on five hits and five walks while fanning four in 5 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
