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New York Mets Powered By Wilmer Flores In Defeat Of Atlanta Braves For 10th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape

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3. 2. 17. Final. 3

New York Mets Defeat Atlanta Braves For 10th Straight Victory

Someone break up the New York Mets! They continued their torrid start to the season, picking up their 10th straight victory in defeating the Atlanta Braves Wednesday night. It was another hard-fought and tough earned victory for the Mets, who had a little bit of everything in the win tonight. Like any lengthy win streak, a team needs to execute when it matters most, and tonight the Mets did that.

The Mets ran into some struggles early on against Braves’ starting pitcher Eric Stults. Stults had been underwhelming in his first two starts this season, one of which came against the Mets, entering Wednesday’s start with a 6.30 ERA. You wouldn’t know that with how he pitched, as he quieted what has been a very strong Mets offense over the past two weeks.

Stults was able to stymie the Mets through six innings, surrendering only four hits and no walks, resulting in one run to go with five strikeouts. The only run he gave up came off the bat of Wilmer Flores in the bottom of the second inning, who singled home Eric Campbell for the first Mets run of the game.

That was a response to the Braves, who scored the first run of the game in the top of the inning of Dillon Gee. Andrelton Simmons provided an RBI single of his home, knocking in catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

Gee has had his own struggles this season as the weakest link not only in the starting rotation, but possibly on the whole staff. He entered the game with a 7.59 and looked to be on his way to another tough outing against a Braves team that beat him April 11th, the last time the Mets lost. Gee had other things on his mind though, as he was a gamer for the Mets tonight.

The first inning was the only inning that Gee didn’t allow a base runner, as he was constantly pitching with ducks on the pond. He was able to limit the damage though and keep pace with Stults step for step throughout the night. The only other blemish for Gee on the night game in the fifth inning when Eric Young Jr. tripled and was subsequently knocked in by a sac fly from Alberto Callaspo.

That would be the only runs against Gee on the night, who kept the Mets in the game all evening on a night that their bats were relatively quiet. His final line was seven innings pitched, needing 102 pitches, with eight hits, one walk and two runs allowed to go with three strikeouts. His ability to limit the damage tonight unlike his first two starts enabled the Mets to put on some heroics at the plate later in the game.

Flores would once again come through in the bottom of the seventh inning, taking Gee off the hook and tying the game at two with his third home run of the season.

The most talked about part of the game would come in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Mets took the lead for good. The Mets showed off just how much they are rolling and in-sync right now, pulling off an excellent hit-and-run.

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Curtis Granderson would pinch-hit for John Mayberry Jr. to start the inning, and like he has been doing all season, got on base with a walk. Juan Lagares then placed the ball perfectly in the hit-and-run, as second baseman Jace Peterson abandoned his spot too early to cover second, leaving a hole for Lagares to put the ball in. With men on the corners, Lucas Duda came up and did what he does best; drove in the run with an RBI single.

That hit would put the Mets up 3-2, and prove to be the difference in the game. Jeurys Familia would come in at the top of the ninth inning and close the door on the Braves for his seventh save in seven chances on the season. The Mets bullpen tonight got the job done, pitching two scoreless innings, while the Braves bullpen surrendered two runs in two innings.

The Mets will look to keep things rolling Thursday afternoon when they will be wrapping up the series, and their homestand, against the Braves. Bartolo Colon will be looking to improve upon his perfect 3-0 record, and re-write the Mets history books in the process, and will be opposed by Julio Teheran.

Next: Where do the Mets rank in our MLB Power Rankings?

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