I went to him to try to get him out, and he said, ‘No, I want to stay in.’ That tells you he’s laying it on the line. “I’m going to throw it in the strike zone – quality pitches, quality location and let them get themselves out”.
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Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes blasted his 29th homer in Saturday’s loss, his 46th homer in 170 games with the Mets dating to last season.TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN South (Atlanta) PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Seth Lugo (3-2, 2.38 ERA) vs. Braves RH Williams Perez (2-2, 5.47) A 34th-round draft pick in 2011, Lugo has been a revelation for New York during its late-season surge, winning three starts in a row.
With the win, the Mets finished 67-106 all-time at Turner Field, despite winning 11 of the last 14 games they played here.
They trail the San Francisco Giants by 1½ games for the first spot and lead St. Louis by a half game for the second spot, and the Giants and Cardinals have an upcoming four-game series against each other.
Lugo was excellent today, going seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out five. The rookie has given the Mets five straight solid starts, helping plug a rotation that is without Steven Matz and Jacob deGrom.
Braves starter John Gant gave up four hits, four walks, three runs – one earned – and struck out six in 4 2/3 innings. To make matters worse, Flores was shaken up on the collision at home and had to leave the game.
Cespedes’ 30th homer, which cleared the bases in the third, was his second grand slam this season. The Braves (55-87) snapped a four-game losing streak.
The Mets scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning thanks to two key errors by Adonis Garcia and Jace Peterson.
Angels 3, Rangers 2 • Andrelton Simmons hit two solo home runs, sending Jered Weaver and host Los Angeles past Texas.
A massive flag was held across the outfield while the team played a video commemorating the attacks and the Braves-Mets game on September 21, 2001, at Shea Stadium – the first major sporting event held in NY after 9/11. Kelly Johnson’s pinch-hit double drove in the go-ahead run.
Nationals 3, Phillies 2 • Gio Gonzalez pitched seven sharp innings, Anthony Rendon doubled home the tiebreaking run and NL East-leading host Washington defeated Philadelphia.
Tyler Holt and Brandon Phillips had three hits apiece, helping Brandon Finnegan and visiting Cincinnati beat reeling Pittsburgh.
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The game remained tied headed to extra innings, and after Chris Withrow (W, 3-0) retired the side in the top of the 10th Collins turned to Erik Goeddel to start the bottom of the inning. Charlie Blackmon homered for the Rockies, his 25th, and had an RBI single.
