Niese, Mets keep Atlanta on the skids ... Freddie Freeman had seen this game before. It looked so very familiar to the first baseman and the sliding Atlanta Braves. Freeman and the Braves were shut down by Jonathon Niese and lost 4-2 to the New York Mets on Saturday night, damaging their flickering playoff hopes. Atlanta has lost seven of eight to drop to 4-13 in September. Any combination of two Pittsburgh wins or Atlanta losses will eliminate the Braves from the NL wild-card race. Niese (9-11) allowed two runs and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. The left-hander also struck out five and walked one while improving to 1-1 with a 2.14 ERA in his last three starts. Dilson Herrera and Curtis Granderson homered for New York, which has won three of four. Niese, who was just 2-4 with a 5.65 ERA in his previous six road starts since June 21, retired nine straight batters before loading the bases on consecutive singles with one out in the eighth. Collins brought in Josh Edgin, who gave up a two-run single to Freeman. But Carlos Torres retired Justin Upton and Chris Johnson to end the threat. Jenrry Mejia then worked the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances. Braves starter Mike Minor lasted just one inning, leaving with left shoulder discomfort after the Mets went up 1-0 on Lucas Dudas sacrifice fly. Minor (6-12) dropped to 0-8 in his last nine September starts. He said he will be evaluated by doctors over the next couple of days. Minor missed the first 27 games of the season with shoulder tendinitis. David Hale came in and fell behind 3-0 in the second on Herreras third homer, a two-run shot just inside the left-field foul pole. Grandersons 19th homer, coming off David Carpenter, made it 4-0 in the eighth. The Braves (76-78) fell two games under .500 for the first time since they were 2-4 on April 12, 2012. NOTES: *Mets: 2B Herrera left with a strained right quadriceps after he beat out an infield single in the sixth. *RF Jason Heyward missed his second straight game with a bruised left thumb. ... C Evan Gattis, sidelined the last 10 games with strep throat and a kidney stone, grounded out as a pinch hitter in the fifth. *RHP Jacob deGrom (8-6) tied the single-game record set by Houstons Jim Deshaies in 1986 by striking out his first eight batters in a no-decision at home against Miami last Monday. *RHP Ervin Santana (14-9) is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year. Below: New York Mets starting pitcher Jonathon Niese throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves. New York Mets Dilson Herrera hits a two-run home run to score teammate Eric Campbell in the second inning. New York Mets Eric Campbell, left, beats the throw to Atlanta Braves Phil Gosselin to steal second base in the second inning. New York Mets Curtis Granderson hits a home run in the eighth inning. Atlanta Braves Chris Johnson hangs his head in his hands as he sits in the dugout in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on Saturday.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 03:51:13 +0000
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