Pen blows it again, Braves win in ninth
BRAVES 7 METS 6
ATLANTA — Gerson Bautista was the 26th man for the Mets on Monday in a doubleheader. A night later he was still the last man, but in a different context.
The rookie right-hander, inserted to pitch the ninth inning from a depleted bullpen, was the last reliever used in a stinging Mets meltdown to the Braves, compounded by Steven Matz’s early departure with a finger injury.
Johan Camargo lined a 98 mph fastball from Bautista over the right-field fence with one out in the ninth, sending the Mets to a 7-6 loss at SunTrust Park.
The Mets led 6-2 in the seventh before Jerry Blevins, Jacob Rhame and Bautista combined to flush the lead. The Mets (26-26) lost for the fifth time in six games.
“It’s unfortunate,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “Guys are out there pitching their hearts out and the results haven’t come.”
Jeurys Familia was unavailable to pitch after recording a two-inning save in the nightcap of Monday’s doubleheader, according to Callaway. Robert Gsellman was originally unavailable to pitch, but told the manager during the game that he could contribute if needed. Callaway said he would have used Gsellman in the ninth to close if the Mets had the lead.
Rhame surrendered a two-run triple to Ender Inciarte in the eighth that tied it 6-6. Inciarte’s smash was the Braves’ fourth hit in the inning against Rhame, who had entered in the seventh to get the final out after Blevins allowed an RBI double to Nick Markakis.
Matz pitched three scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit and two walks, but as he took the mound for the fourth began clenching his fist and was soon joined by trainer Brian Chicklo, Callaway and pitching coach Dave Eiland. The lefty was removed with discomfort in his middle finger, though X-rays were negative. The injury occurred during his previous plate appearance, when the bat flew out of his hands on a swing and miss.
Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double in the sixth — his third time reaching base in the game — extended the Mets’ lead to 6-2. Amed Rosario singled with two outs to start the rally.
Asdrubal Cabrera’s second homer of the game, a rocket leading off the fifth against Matt Wisler, gave the Mets a 5-2 lead. The blast was Cabrera’s teamleading 10th of the season and gave him two multi-homer games this season. Cabrera continues to mash on the road, where he was hitting .333 this season entering play. Three of his homers have come on this road trip.
Paul Sewald replaced Matz in the fourth and allowed two runs — the second of which scored on a Devin Mesoraco passed ball — to pull the Braves within 4-2. Tyler Flowers doubled leading off the inning and scored on Charlie Culberson’s RBI single.
Adrian Gonzalez’s homer leading off the fourth extended the Mets’ lead to 4-0. The blast, on a 1-2 pitch that cleared the fence in right-center, was Gonzalez’s sixth of the season and first in 54 at-bats since May 7.