Diaz, Contreras lock horns in ‘Narco’ showdown

ATLANTA — The Braves tried to turn the tables — and trumpets — on Edwin Diaz.

The Mets — trailing the Braves by the eventual final score of 5-3 in the eighth inning Sunday night at Truist Park — turned to their closer, who had not pitched since Wednesday. After two quick outs from Diaz, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker replaced designated hitter Marcell Ozuna with William Contreras.

Contreras, who had sat Saturday and was out of the lineup Sunday, uses “Narco” — Diaz’s viral entrance song at Citi Field — as his walk-up song. The sellout Braves crowd rose to its feet, made plenty of noise and pantomimed playing the trumpet.

If the song and scene bothered Diaz, he took it out on the pinch-hitting catcher. Diaz used a fastball and two sliders to strike out Contreras on three pitches.

The Mets flew in Timmy Trumpet to play the instrument live ahead of one of Diaz’s appearances in Queens earlier this season. Timmy Trumpet and the Dutch DJ duo known as Blasterjaxx are behind the tune.

➤ Pete Alonso’s tenure in the No. 2 hole in the Mets lineup ended Sunday after three games.

Perhaps seeking more heft in the middle of the batting order, manager Buck Showalter moved Alonso back to cleanup. Alonso went 1-for-3 with a walk.

The Mets have sought an answer in the 2-hole during Starling Marte’s absence over the past month with a fractured right middle finger.

Francisco Lindor (0-for-5, two strikeouts) moved up to second, with Jeff McNeil (3-for-5 with a homer and an RBI) behind him. The Mets scored only two runs in each of their first two games of this series against the Braves.

Showalter attributed the lineup change to “looking at some things” in regards to the Braves bullpen. All but five of Alonso’s starts this season have come in the cleanup spot.

➤ McNeil is hitting .326, one point behind Freddie Freeman — who went 0-for-4 for the Dodgers. McNeil is attempting to become the first Mets player since Jose Reyes in 2011 to win the batting title.