Swanson hits big, Braves rout Mets
NEW YORK — Dansby Swanson tied his MLB career high with five RBIs, and the Atlanta Braves chased an erratic Rick Porcello during the third inning of his New York Mets debut in a 14-1 blowout of their Nation League East Division rivals on Sunday night.
Atlanta had 17 hits, 11 for extra bases, and took two of three in the season-opening series, losing 1-0 on Friday and coming within a strike of defeat Saturday before rallying to win in 10 innings.
Porcello allowed seven runs and got just six outs.
Swanson, Marcell Ozuna and Austin Riley all went deep against Corey Oswalt, who has allowed 18 home runs in 20 appearances in the majors. Riley’s drive went off the facade of the left-field upper deck and would have traveled 458 feet unimpeded, according to Statcast.
Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies had three hits and three RBIs, including a tworun homer off Paul Sewald.
Swanson blooped an RBI single to center for the second run of the first inning, hit a two-run double that chased Porcello in a five-run third and had a two-run, opposite-field homer to right-center in the fourth for a 9-1 lead. The shortstop also had five RBIs against the Philadelphia Phillies last July 4, which had been the last time he homered.
Porcello lasted 15 batters, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and three walks in twoplus innings. His fastball was around 92 mph, but he was repeatedly up in the strike zone and over the center of the plate.
Given an eight-run lead, Atlanta starter Sean Newcomb was removed after 3 1/3 innings and failed to get the win. He struggled with command, starting seven of his first nine batters with balls, throwing 42 of 82 pitches for strikes, hitting two batters and throwing a wild pitch.
He was replaced by Jhouyls Chacín (1-0) after allowing a double to the No. 8 hitter, backup catcher Tomás Nido, for New York’s third hit. Released by Minnesota in mid-July, Chacín allowed one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his first Braves appearance since 2016.
Matt Adams, who opted out of a minor league deal with the Mets to sign with the Braves, put Atlanta ahead in the two-run first when he lined an RBI single through the shortstop hole vacated by the defensive shift.