METS LOSE GAME AFTER LOSING MEJIA
After learning of Mejia ban, Gee & Mets get roughed up against undefeated Braves (5-0)
ATLANTA — If the Mets keep playing like they did Saturday night, they will not need a closer.
On the day that Jenrry Mejia was suspended 80 games for a positive PED test, the Mets were beaten by the Braves, 5-3, at Turner Field.
The Mets (2-3) fell below .500 for the first time this season, losing for the second straight night at Turner Field. The Braves, who traded their own closer Craig Kimbrel in what looked like a rebuilding move just before their season opener, stunningly improved to 5-0. “As disappointing as it was, I don’t think anybody was thinking about that during the game,” Mets captain David Wright said of the Mejia news.
Indeed, Mejia was not the culprit for this loss. The Braves battered Mets starter Dillon Gee, whose hold on the fifth starting spot appears tenuous.
The righthander gave up a solo shot to Freddie Freeman in the second, but the real damage came in the fifth. The Braves hit three straight doubles to right field to open the inning, with Christian Bethancourt and Andrelton Simmons each driving in a run. Former Met Eric Young Jr. tripled home another run and then scored on Nick Markakis’ two-out single to right before Gee finally got out of the inning on Freeman’s ground ball to short. Gee did not go back out for the sixth, having allowed five runs on eight hits. He struck out two.
“It (stunk),” Gee said of that fifth inning, “but I thought I actually felt pretty good today, throwing the ball. I thought I made some good pitches throughout the night. But that’s the way it went, they went down that rightfield line pretty good tonight.”
The Mets’ shorthanded bullpen did manage three scoreless innings among Alex Torres, Sean Gilmartin and Erik Goeddel.
But the damage was done. The Mets could not do much against Braves starter Julio Teheran, who gave up three runs, just one earned, on two hits and four walks over six-plus innings.
The Mets had their chance in the seventh, rallying for their three runs that could have been more. They had closed the gap to 5-2 and had the bases loaded with nobody out but could manage only one more run.
Lucas Duda led off the seventh with a single to center for only the second hit of the night off Teheran. The Braves righthander issued backto-back walks to Michael Cuddyer and Daniel Murphy to load the bases, before third baseman Alberto Callaspo’s fielding error plated a run.
Teheran then plunked Travis d’Arnaud in the back to score Cuddyer before being taken out. Brandon Cunniff entered and got Wilmer Flores to ground into a double play that scored Murphy. Braves lefty Luis Avilan got pinch-hitter Ruben Tejada to ground out to third for the last out of the inning.
Flores was back in the lineup Saturday night after committing two errors on Friday, a show of confidence by manager Terry Collins. While his defense was fine Saturday night, Flores continued to struggle at the plate, going 0-for-2 with a walk. He is 2-for-16 to start the season.
He is not the only one struggling, however. After raking this spring, the Mets are hitting .196 as a team.
“We knew we were swinging good in spring training, but we knew it was spring training. It’s just a different game when the lights come on,” Collins said. “We’ve got to get some guys going. We’ve got a good offensive club, but as we saw in spring training we have to have it throughout the lineup, not just one or two guys carrying us.”