The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mets get to Wisler, sweep doubleheader
Braves’ bullpen beaten up in both games Saturday.
Right-hander Matt Wisler’s return to starting for the Braves was going well until Mets hitters faced him for the third time. It probably wouldn’t have mattered if he pitched better because Mets left-hander Steven Matz was so good and the Braves’ bullpen was so bad.
The Mets beat the Braves 8-1 on Saturday night to sweep the day-night doubleheader at SunTrust Park. The Mets won 6-1 in the afternoon game and will look to win the four-game series today.
Wisler made 45 starts for the Braves over the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He began this season at Triple-A Gwinnett, was inconsistent in seven relief appearances for the Braves this season and then got the call-up because the Braves needed an extra starter for the doubleheader.
Wisler held the Mets scoreless with two hits through 4⅔ innings. His troubles began when he walked Michael Conforto with two outs in the fifth inning.
Jose Reyes followed with a single, and then Jay Bruce sent Wisler’s curveball over the wall in right field for his 16th home run of the season. That was one of four extrabase hits allowed by Wisler, who struck out seven over six innings but walked three.
The Mets added another run in the sixth inning when Wilmer Flores tripled to lead off and then scored on Travis d’Arnaud’s sacrifice fly. That was more than enough offense for Matz, who made his season debut following elbow surgery in October.
Matz limited the Braves to one run and five hits over seven innings. The Braves advanced just three runners past first base against Matz, including Dansby Swanson’s two-out double in the seventh that was followed by Johan Camargo’s RBI single.
Matz, 26, last pitched in the majors Aug. 14. He entered the game with a 3.38 ERA against the Braves, and his six starts and four wins against them are his most against any opponent.
The Mets beat up the Braves’ bullpen in both games of the doubleheader.
In Game 2, Braves lefty Eric O’Flaherty surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to T.J. Rivera in the eighth inning and a two-out, tworun double to Juan Lagares in the ninth. The Mets scored five runs against reliever Luke Jackson in Game 1, including Yoenis Cespedes’ ninth-inning grand slam.
Home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected Braves left fielder Matt Kemp from Game 2. Kemp disagreed with Cuzzi’s strike call during an at-bat in the eighth inning and then appeared to continue to argue with Cuzzi after grounding out to end the inning.