Gimme two shots of Bo and keep the chaser smooth for the win

Mets 7 Braves 5 (Citi FIeld, Flushing, NY)

Mets record: 31-38

Mets streak: Won 2

WP - Cionel Perez (3-3)

LP - Spencer Strider (4-2)

SV - Devin Williams (10)

Seat on the Korner: Bo Bichette

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

Bo Bichette has been on a roll lately, so this isn't the game that's going to get him going. Rather, this is the game that should tell us once and for all that Bichette is back to being the consistent threat at the top of the lineup that he was in Toronto. Bichette's two homers in the first two innings, including a grand slam in the 2nd, powered the Mets to a 7-5 victory in the first game of the season against Atlanta. The Mets needed all of Bichette's production as what started out as a rocking chair victory turned knuckles white at the end.

Need to Know

• The game started after an hour and 16 minute rain delay.

• The back-to-back homers by Bo Bichette and Juan Soto in the first inning was the second day in a row that the Mets have had multiple home runs in the first inning, and it's the first time that has happened in franchise history.

• Bichette's grand slam in the 2nd was the third grannie of his career, and it gave him his second multi-homer game as a Met.

• Nolan McLean only lasted four innings, being pulled after 93 pitches. He gave up two runs on three hits and four walks while striking out six.

• Huascar Brazoban pitched an inning and 2/3's of perfect basebal in relief, striking out four of the five hitters he faced.

• Spencer Strider, who came into the game with a lifetime 6.11 ERA against the Mets, gave up six runs on six hits and a walk, and left the game in the fourth due to right arm soreness. He threw 68 pitches.

• Juan Soto who received his 2025 Silver Slugger Award before the game, had two hits in three at-bats for his second straight multi-hit game. It was the first back-to-back multi-hit games since he did it three straight times from May 18th through May 20th. (Soto came into tonight hitting .230 in the 17 games since, albeit with 5 HR's and 11 RBI.)

• Devin Williams' four out save was his first since May 28th, 2023.

Turning Point

There are a couple that we could go with here. But after Bo Bichette and Juan Soto went back-to-back in the first, the Braves tied the game at 2-2 on base hits by Dom Smith and Mike Yastrzemski in the top of the second, and then had the bases loaded with nobody out. McLean was struggling in the 2nd, giving up three hits, two walks, and wasn't helped by a Jared Young error in the second.

But then with the bases loaded and nobody out, McLean struck out Austin Wynns, got Mauricio Dubon to pop out, then struck out Michael Harris II to end the inning.

That laborious inning was the key factor in McLean's night ending early, and his last four starts have featured high pitch counts without getting out of the 6th inning, which is a problem. But without that turnaround, the bottom of the second might look a little different. Or if it looked the same, it wouldn't have had the same effect, so give McLean credit for getting the key outs when the team needed them.

Three Keys

Life Comes at You Fast

Spencer Strider had two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 2nd after the Braves failed to take the lead. But then a double by MJ Melendez, a single by Luis Torrens which ticked off Strider's glove, then a HBP to Carson Benge brought Bo Bichette to the plate with the bases full. Bichette, who had already homered in the game, delivered:

This could wind up being the "Bo Bichette Game" if this season actually turns into something.

The Zeile of Approval Before the Zeile of Approval

It's easy to say after the fact that the Mets coming through with a big offensive performance was a key to the game. But Todd Zeile gave us the key before a pitch was thrown.

If Todd is eligible to receive his own Zeile of Approval, then he should get it because the bats really did come alive tonight.

That first home run by Bichette was notable to me if only because the way he hit it, where he hit it, and his reaction to it gave me some very faint vibes of Game 7 against the Dodgers last year.

They Would Need All of It

The Mets, being the Mets, couldn't just make this easy. In the 8th inning, the Braves roared back against Brooks Raley. An Ozzie Albies single on a pitch three feet outside made it 7-4, and a double by Austin Riley put runners on second and third with two outs. In comes Devin Williams for the four out save. He would give up an infield single to Eli White to make it 7-5 before facing former teammate Rowdy Tellez, in what was Rowdy's first at-bat of the season as he took Ronald Acuna's spot on the roster with Acuna going on the IL.

Williams got Rowdy to pop up to end the inning with the tying runs at base, and then in the 9th after giving up a hit to Dubon on a 50 billion pitch at-bat (okay, 14), Williams struck out Harris and Matt Olson to end it.

That long at-bat to Dubon might very well keep Williams out of tomorrow's game (he through 33 pitches), but we'll worry about tomorrow ... tomorrow.

Bonus Key: The Senses are Tingling

I'm going to list this as a key. I don't feel great about it, but it's notable that the Mets broke out a new home run celebration tonight, of all nights.

Are these silly? Yes. Have these celebrations become a little to formulaic, yes. But two things here. First: The Spidey mask is way less cumbersome than the orange vest and the construction hat, so that alone is a massive win for the Mets as it will save them some energy during hot summer nights like tonight. Second, tonight is June 12th. Do you remember what happened two years ago on June 12th?

The Mets could use multiple superheroes and fast-food icons to get them out of the mess they've created so far this season. Bo Bichette becoming one of those superheroes would be a nice start.