A run scored when shortstop Trevor Story juggled a potential game-ending, double-play grounder.
Advertisement
Cubs second baseman Tommy La Stella made his first start in the leadoff spot and went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and his first homer.
“I had a lot of guys with two strikes that I couldn’t put away”, he said. Walker hit his team-best seventh home run leading off. It was his sixth in his last eight games. “I think we’re starting to get in the flow of what a baseball season is all about”, Collins said. “… Nobody on this team on the offensive side of things feels like they need to carry the load”.
Blair finished with just one strikeout – Duda in the first – and walked two, some flipped numbers for the same pitcher who had struck 22 while walking just five in his three Triple-A starts in Gwinnett.
DeGrom returned to the rotation Sunday and tossed 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball to help the Mets to a series sweep of the Braves with a 3-2 win on Sunday at Turner Field.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Braves, who fell to 1-10 at home and have gone 13 games without a home run. The Braves have only hit three homers, their lowest stretch of futility since 1937.
“It’s slowly but surely coming”, Freeman said of his swing. “It kind of hurt me a little bit”. “But I was able to get out of it with just one run”.
Granderson’s sixth career grand slam was a line-drive shot he pulled into the right-field seats off Bud Norris (1-3) in the second inning.
The Mets tacked on three runs in the ninth against Ryan Weber. Granderson had three hits, including another homer off Norris in the fourth, giving him four on the season. RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 0.90 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season in the opener…. His first start kicked off with Granderson and Asdrubal Cabrera hitting consecutive singles, followed by a Michael Conforto sacrifice fly, to dig an early hole. Teevan didn’t disclose the nature of Kellogg’s injury.
The Atlanta Braves have optioned right-hander Casey Kelly to Triple-A Gwinnett and recalled left-hander Matt Marksberry from Gwinnett to pitch out of the bullpen.
Also, Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes didn’t play Saturday night against the Braves after aggravating his bruised right leg while sliding into second with a double in Friday night’s game. “Looking back, I would have rather challenged them a little more but I’m pretty happy with the outcome”.
Braves: OF Ender Inciarte, on the DL since April 9 with a strained left hamstring, may return in about two weeks. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Inciarte is hitting in extended spring training games but not running full speed.
The Braves are expected to start rookie RHP Aaron Blair in the series finale on Sunday against Mets RHP Jacob deGrom (1-0, 1.50).
DeGrom’s son, Jaxon Anthony, was suffering from apnea and would stop breathing while sleeping, according to the pitcher.
Advertisement
“He’s a young talent that is going to be around for a long time”, Curry said.
