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Steven Matz sharp, picks up second straight win as Mets dominate Braves

Pitch No. 3 went for a single.

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Atlanta lost its fifth straight game with Aaron Blair (0-1) allowing three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in his major league debut.

At which time, he began to pitch.

As deGrom won his in his return to the rotation, the Mets spoiled the debut of Braves prospect Aaron Blair. Several rows behind the Braves dugout gave him a standing send-off and that’s not happening much around here this spring.

A double play on a caught stealing got Blair out of the inning, and the Mets grounded into twin killings in the second and fourth before the Braves (4-14) broke through against deGrom to tie the game in the fifth. Case in point: The Braves have logged double-digit hits in each of their past four games against some of the NL’s top arms, but with only five doubles and zero triples.

The Mets had a season-high 15 hits in Saturday’s 8-2 win at Turner Field.

“I think after that first inning, everything just kind of settled down”, Blair said. RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 0.90 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season in the opener. “He’s a guy that – he’s not afraid of contact”. “For his first major league outing, against a team that’s swinging the bat pretty good”.

Working a consistent 90-93 miles per hour sinking fastball with a slider, a curve and serviceable 79-mph changeup he had the guts to throw on consecutive pitchers to Cabrera in the third, Blair held up his end of the deal against NY ace Jacob deGrom, an All-Star last season who drew some votes for the Cy Young award.

Matz (2-1) allowed two runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. But he worked around trouble.

“I’m trying to see the ball big, see the ball up in the zone and put the barrel on it, ” Walker said.

PHILLIES: RHP Charlie Morton left in the second inning after straining his left hamstring running to first base on an attempted sacrifice.

He coaxed a double play ball from Wilmer Flores after Neil Walker singled to open the second.

DETROIT – Jose Ramirez scored two runs and knocked in two more as Cleveland overcame the injury loss of starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco to complete a three-game sweep of Detroit.

The Mets were off to a good start in this game between two longstanding NL East rivals.RF Curtis Granderson reached first base on a leadoff single in the first inning. “I’d rather hit four homers a game”. After exhaustive tests – including MRIs and X-rays and being hooked up to monitors for several days in a neonatal intensive care unit – the newborn was free of issues for five straight days and was discharged Monday without any procedures being required.

Blair was told Friday night he would be called up for Sunday’s game, leaving plenty of time to assemble his clan, some of whom flew in from the West Coast. “Brother, Grandma, Grandpa, cousin, fiancee, fiancee’s sister, fiancees’ parents, friends from college”.

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As has been the case since Spring Training, deGrom’s fastball velocity sat between 91 and 93 miles per hour during the game while touching 94 miles per hour on a few occasions. “I’m not sure how that works”.

Jacob de Grom has a healthy baby and the Mets have their first series sweep of the season