Braves 4 Mets 1 (Citi Field, Flushing, NY)
Mets record: 18-20
Mets streak: Lost 2
WP - Max Fried (3-1)
LP - Christian Scott (0-1)
Seat on the Korner:
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Max Fried came within a pitch of tying his career high in pitches thrown, but it was only because he was working on a no-hitter, which he delivered for the Braves at least in his seven innings of work to lead them to a 4-1 victory on Saturday.
Need to Know
The Mets are now 6-19 in their last 25 games against the Braves.
J.D. Martinez's home run with two outs in the 9th inning off Raisel Iglesias was his first home run as a Met, and also was the first hit for the Mets in the game, saving them from the ninth no-hitter against them in their history.
Max Fried was excellent in his seven innings of work, giving up no hits nd walking three while striking out five.
This was Christian Scott's Citi Field debut. Scott went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight.
This was also Jarred Kelenic's Citi Field debut. Kelenic was drafted 6th overall by the Mets in 2018 and was a major part of the Edwin Diaz/Robinson Cano trade (for those who haven't memorized that fact.) Kelenic baatted ninth and went 0-for-4.
Brandon Nimmo left the game in the fifth inning after suffering what was called "right intercostal irritation" on a check swing in the third inning.
Turning Point
Hard to find a turning point when a game is in a straight line. But in the 7th inning with Fried working on his no-hitter, J.D. Martinez blasted a ball to center field in what was the biggest challenge to Fried's outing. Not only would the Mets hve had their first hit, but the Braves probably go to the bullpen with the tying run coming to the plate in a 3-0 game.
Instead, Michael Harris II enabled the Braves to take a breath and Fried got that extra chance to finish his night with no damage, and he struck out McNeil to end the threat.
Three Keys
Strength or Weakness?
In Scott's second start, he had a choice to make: Stick to his plan from his first start, which was to mix up his fastball and sweeper, or go fastball heavy against a team that has feasted on breaking balls this season. He got Ronald Acuna on a slider to lead off the game, but for the most part, he went fastball heavy against Atlanta, especially on the first pitches.
But in the third with a runner on base, he threw a fastball in a traditonal fastball count (2-0) to Orlando Arcia. He put it in a good spot, just off the black on the inner half. But Arcia was looking fastball, and at 93 mph you better hope that the batter isn't looking for it. However ...
The pitch that he DID miss on was the RBi single to Harris in the 4th, which was inner half but got too much plate.
Scott had a good outing overall, and against a team like the Braves, holding them to three runs in more than six innings is a feat. Of course, the Mets defense saved him from having a couple of his inherited runners score in the 7th on what could be described as a strange double play.
Deep Fried
This was as close to a rocking chair game as you could get for Fried. Even with the three walks, it didn't seem like the Mets were ever in a position to put anything together against Max.
The Mets were impatient, and did not know where the curve ball was coming from or where it was going.
Firsts And Lasts
J.D. Martinez's first homer of the season saved the Mets from embarrassment. More importantly, it showed that J.D.'s season might start to get going as his timeline still has him in extended spring training at this point
Maybe more important than that in the short term is that Brian Snitker's decision to have Iglesias come in for a "no-save but save the no-hitter situation" today might put Iglesias out for Sunday night's game. Considering that Iglesias has now given up four runs in three innings against the Mets this season, I can't decide if this would be a good or bad thing.
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