Ozuna stuns Mets with HR
Diaz gives up 2-out homer in the 9th, Braves win in 10
NEW YORK — Marcell Ozuna hit a tying homer off shaky closer Edwin Diaz with two outs in the ninth inning, Dansby Swanson scored automatic runner Adam Duvall with a leadoff single in the 10th and the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-3 on Saturday.
New York loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th with no outs against Luke Jackson (1-0). Pinchhitter Dominic Smith managed a sacrifice fly, but Jackson recovered and retired Wilson Ramos to end it.
Ozuna, signed to an $18 million, one-year free agent deal in January, energized Atlanta’s struggling offense with his opposite-field drive against Diaz. Ozuna went with a 3-2 fastball just off the outside corner and roped it out to right field for his first home run with the Braves. Mets reliever Hunter Strickland (0-1) was charged with an unearned run on Swanson’s RBI in Major League Baseball’s second game featuring an unpopular, new extra-innings rule that gives teams a free baserunner on second from the 10th on.
Strickland later bobbled a grounder, allowing Swanson to score, and also gave up an RBI double to William Contreras — the first big league hit for the younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras.
Duvall also homered for Atlanta, drilling a cardboard likeness of Mets All-Star Jeff McNeil’s dog with his solo shot in the second inning. Duvall’s homer was one of two hits against New York starter Steven Matz.
McNeil countered with a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Diaz couldn’t make it stand. An All-Star with Seattle in 2018, Diaz labored through a brutal 2019 with a 5.59 ERA and seven blown saves. He gave up a whopping 15 homers in 58 innings and lost his job as closer.
Diaz looked sharp in saving Friday’s season opener and was poised to convert saves in consecutive games for the first time since 2018. Until Ozuna struck.
Just in time for Atlanta, too. The Braves struck out 15 times in 30 at-bats in Friday’s 1-0 loss and had just four hits Saturday before his drive.
Braves left-hander Max Fried opened with four hitless innings but stumbled in the fifth. Michael Conforto doubled and scored on Amed Rosario’s triple, and Rosario came home easily on McNeil’s sacrifice fly to deep left field.
Fried was pulled after the fifth. He allowed two runs, two walks and two hits while striking out five.
Matz followed Jacob deGrom’s opening day gem with another strong outing. The left-hander covered six one-run innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. it 3-0 when Rafael Devers mishandled Pedro Severino’s soft grounder to third.
The Red Sox were just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 runners on base. Their biggest bright spot was Alex Verdugo, who had three hits in his first start since coming over in the trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts and C Christian Vazquez both got a day off Saturday. Roenicke said both are fine, but that it’s part of a plan to get his starters rest for day games that fall immediately after night games. The goal is to avoid early injuries, he said. Tzu-Wei Lin and Kevin Plawecki started in their place.
Red Sox RHP Dylan Covey was sent down to the alternate training site in Pawtucket after the game. Roenicke said a corresponding move will happen Sunday. Covey pitched two innings Saturday, giving up three hits, two runs and striking out two. Boston also claimed l e f t- h a n d e r Stephen Gonsalves off waivers from the New York Mets and optioned him to Pawtucket.
Red Sox righthander Ryan Weber made his first opening day roster this season after beginning the last four in Triple-A. In 11 major league starts, he is 1-5 with a 5.96 ERA. He allowed two earned runs over 7 2/3 innings in his only two career appearances against Baltimore last season. … Orioles left-hander Wade LeBlanc makes his Orioles debut in the series finale Sunday. The 35-year-old previously pitched in Japan and for seven major league teams, including Seattle last season, before signing a minor league deal with Baltimore in January.