The Mets didn’t waste any time turning Monday night into a runaway at Citi Field.
After falling behind early against the Braves, New York answered immediately and then kept stacking punches until the game was completely out of reach, rolling to a lopsided win behind a barrage of extra-base hits, a pair of Francisco Lindor homers, and a huge night from Tyrone Taylor.
It started with some trouble for rookie Zac Thornton. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin opened the game with back-to-back singles, and a Matt Olson double play nearly helped Thornton escape the inning.
Instead, Ozzie Albies lined a single to Francisco Lindor to bring home the first run and give Atlanta the lead. Thornton did manage a strikeout to finish the frame, but the Mets were in a hole right away.
That didn’t last long.
A.J. Ewing led off the bottom of the first with a single, and Lindor followed by ripping a triple that came very close to leaving the yard, scoring Ewing to tie it. Braves starter Martín Pérez shut things down after that, but the Mets had already shown they weren’t going to let the night get away from them quietly.
The third inning brought the first real swing. Ewing opened with another single and then stole second, setting the table for Lindor, who launched a home run that also nearly didn’t clear the wall. That made it 3-1 Mets, and even though Pérez escaped without further damage, the momentum had shifted.
Atlanta answered in the fourth. Olson drew a walk to start the inning, and Albies tied the game with a two-run homer. Michael Harris II followed with a single, but Thornton settled in and got through the inning with the score even again.
From there, the game stayed quiet until the Mets broke it open in the sixth. Pérez was done after five, and Connor Thomas came in only to see Tyrone Taylor reach on a single that maybe should’ve been ruled an error instead.
Marcus Semien then crushed a two-run homer, pushing New York back in front by two. Thomas allowed two more singles in the inning, but he avoided further damage.
Thornton’s night ended after the first out in the seventh. He finished with three runs allowed on six hits and a walk, while striking out five in another strong outing during his rookie season. Huascar Brazobán took over and worked through the inning cleanly.
Then the Mets really let loose.
In the bottom of the seventh, Francisco Alvarez walked and Jared Young singled to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Taylor followed with another blast, a three-run homer that stretched the lead to five. After the bases were loaded with one out, Bo Bichette added a sacrifice fly to make it 9-3.
The eighth inning was even uglier for Atlanta. The Mets loaded the bases again with one out, Luis Torrens drew a walk to force in a run, and Ewing added a sacrifice fly.
Then Lindor delivered the knockout blow with his second homer of the night, pushing the lead to 11 runs and sending Thomas out of the game. Jorge Mateo, the infamous position player pitching, came in and eventually got a strikeout to end the inning.
Daniel Duarte closed things out with two scoreless innings, striking out three, as the Mets finished off the Braves in convincing fashion.
It was the Mets’ second straight win over a first-place team, a nice jolt in a season that has needed them. New York and Atlanta meet again Tuesday, with Christian Scott set to start for the Mets and Chris Sale going for the Braves.
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