Mets 6, Braves 4: Bullpen Shaky In 9th But Dickey's Stellar Start, Win Preserved

The New York Mets tried their best to make things interesting tonight. With a 6-0 lead achieved in the fifth inning, the Mets allowed what seemed like an insignificant run in the seventh inning -- that is, until they allowed three more in the ninth to make it just a 6-4 advantage. Luckily for them, Francisco Rodriguez was able to find his groove after giving up a three-run homer, and slammed the door,  giving the Mets a 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, their first series win since mid-May.

On national television, Jose Reyes shined, showing just why New York should do everything in its power to keep him in blue and orange. Reyes went 2-for-4 with two runs, a walk and an RBI. He's now .337/.386/.506 on the year and deserved to show just how dynamic of a player he is with a good game in front a such a large audience.

Another player who is really beginning to show his 2010 season was no joke is R.A. Dickey, who dazzled for eight innings tonight, allowing only four hits and one run while striking out three. The knuckleballer has really been a bright spot for this team for just over a year now. It's truly fun to watch and it really couldn't happen to a more sincere guy. He's been a nice find for a team that needs these darkhorse players to emerge to be successful. 

The Mets' bullpen, namely Manny Acosta, tried its best to blow Dickey's chance for a win. Acosta allowed a hit and a walk (and got Brian McCann to fly out in between) before being pulled for Rodriguez. However, pinch-hitter Diory Hernandez slugged the fifth pitch he saw in a 3-1 count into the the left-field bleachers. K-Rod would get the next two guys to strikeout, however, to end the rest of Atlanta's ninth-inning threat.

In addition to Reyes' good day at the plate, Daniel Murphy had two hits and a walk, while Justin Turner continued his solid rookie campaign with his 24th RBI and Carlos Beltran had an RBI (and left the game with a bruised shin, but it is not considered serious). Ruben Tejada also had a hit and an RBI on a bases-loaded walk.

New York is off tomorrow before a series at Milwaukee begins on Tuesday.

Mets Vs. Braves: Dickey, Mets Look To Win First Series Since Mid-May

The New York Mets have been riding a roller coaster of wins and losses lately. They have not won a series since the mini-series win (two games) against the Washington Nationals back in the middle of May. With R.A. Dickey on the mound in the ESPN Baseball Tonight telecast, the Mets have a chance two take two of three from their division rival Atlanta Braves on what’s theoretically the biggest stage of the week. A solid all-around performance (which has been hard to come by recently) plus no meltdowns from the seventh inning on would also be nice.

There couldn’t be a better way to end an up-and-down (wht more downs) week than defeating the Braves and Tim Hudson. Hudson has a 4-4 record with a 3.75 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. In his career against the Mets, he’s 13-6 with a 3.41 ERA. The 35-year-old is the definition of a ground-ball pitcher and will use his sinker to get the Mets to put the ball in play and keep his fielders active.

Dickey has really turned a corner after a rough stretch of starts, but is pitching with a torn plantar fascia (sustained two starts ago). He allowed three earned runs in 7 2/3 innings and fanned 10 in his start after the injury, so it doesn’t seem to have affected his pitching ability, though he does have trouble running to his left to cover first and running the bases.

Jason Bay is out of the lineup tonight, with Jason Pridie starting in left field. At this point, Pridie may be the better hitting option of the two as Bay has really struggled this year. The Amazin’s will go with a lineup of Jose Reyes, Justin Turner, Carlos Beltran, Daniel Murphy, Angel Pagan, Ronny Paulino, Pridie, and Ruben Tejada tonight

Mets 5, Braves 0: Gee Stays Perfect As Mets Break Out In Seventh

Saturday night against the Atlanta Braves, the New York Mets flipped the switched and reversed their late-inning fortunes. And it was definitely worth it as Dillon Gee was tremendous in a pitchers’ duel between he and Jair Jurrjens. Neither allowed a run until the seventh inning — and the opposing starter was the one who did, as the Mets put five on the board to essentially take all the life out of the Braves in this one, en route to a 5-0 victory.

Gee’s record improved to 6-0 on the season and the Mets stayed unbeaten in every single game he’s started this year. He was simply excellent. Never overpowering, but always in control and able to wiggle out of any trouble he faced. Gee threw seven innings and allowed just four hits and two walks and struckout two. Gee is now 8-2 with a 2.61 ERA in his 13 career major league starts.

The Mets broke out in the seventh inning with one out when Jason Bay reached safely on an Alex Gonzalez error. Josh Thole doubled and Ruben Tejada was hit by a pitch, and Jason Pridie was sent to bat for Dillon Gee and dropped a single into right field. Jurrjens was then taken out and replaced with Scott Proctor. With the bases loaded, Reyes socked a ball into right field, for his major league-leading 10th triple of the season, clearing the bases. Justin Turner hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing home Reyes, and the 0-0 tie became a 5-0 Mets heading into the eighth inning.

Even better news was that the bullpen did its job — Pedro Beato for 1 1/3 innings and Tim Byrdak for two batters.

Mets Vs. Braves: Gee Looks To Keep Unbeaten Streak Alive

(Sports Network) – Jair Jurrjens tries to continue his impressive start to the season this evening when the Atlanta Braves continue their three-game series against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

Jurrjens, the National League’s top pitcher for the month of May, became just the fourth pitcher in major league history to allow two earned runs or less and pitch at least six innings in each of his first nine starts on Sunday against Cincinnati. He held the Reds to a run and six hits in eight innings, to improve to 7-1, while lowering his major league best earned run average 1.51.

Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies set the record last year when he did it in his first 12 starts. Like Jurrjens, Randy Johnson (2000) and Lefty Gomez (1937) did so in their first nine outings to the season.

“It’s an honor,” Jurrjens said. “It’s not easy to be a starting pitcher in this league. I went out there and knew the bullpen needed a rest. I just made sure I kept my pitch count down and stay deeper in the game.”

Injuries limited the right-hander to just 20 starts a year ago, but a victory this evening would surpass his total from last year and tie him for the NL lead along with Pittsburgh’s Kevin Correia. Although, two other seven-game winners – Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo and St. Louis’ Kyle Lohse – are also slated to take the hill this evening.

Jurrjens threw seven scoreless innings to beat the Mets back on April 16 and is 8-2 lifetime against them with a 2.54 ERA in 11 starts.

New York, meanwhile, will counter with an equally impressive righty in Dillon Gee, who is 5-0 with a 3.83 ERA. Gee won his third straight start on Monday against Pittsburgh, as he limited the Pirates to three runs and five hits in seven innings.

Gee defeated Atlanta earlier in the year and is 1-1 in two starts against them with a 2.84 ERA.

Atlanta rallied for a victory in Friday’s opener, as Eric Hinske’s solo, tie- breaking home run off Francisco Rodriguez with one out in the ninth inning boosted the Braves to a 6-3 win.

“I was thinking I’m going to try and ambush him, get something to hit over the plate. It worked out,” said Hinske, who entered the game in the fifth inning when Jordan Schafer was forced to leave after bunting a ball off his face. “Sometimes you guess right and it’s part of the cat and mouse game.”

Freddie Freeman added a two-run double to cap the ninth inning uprising, as the Braves topped the Mets for the 10th time in the last 12 meetings.

The Mets, who held a 3-1 lead going to the eighth inning, lost for the third time in four games. Jose Reyes committed a critical error in the eighth, which allowed the tying run to score.

Derek Lowe pitched six effective innings and Craig Kimbrel locked down his 17th save of the year. Kimbrel now has more saves before the All-Star break than any rookie in NL history. Johnathan Papelbon holds the overall rookie saves mark before the break with 26.

Jonny Venters (4-0) fanned a pair of batters in the eighth to get the win.

“We’ve got to continue to work together to get through these and add on some runs,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Schafer reportedly has a broken nose, but he underwent more tests after the game to see if there was any other damage.

While Rodriguez (1-2) suffered the loss, he has converted his last 16 save chances, his longest streak in a season since equaling that mark to began the 2009 campaign.

Atlanta took two of three from the Mets earlier in the year.

New York Mets' David Wright Told To Remain Inactive For Three More Weeks

If the New York Mets were considering dealing David Wright before the trade deadline July 31st, they can probably shelve that idea until the offseason. When David Wright went on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his back back in the middle of May, even GM Sandy Alderson thought he'd "only" be out three weeks. Last night, however, Alderson addressed the media and revealed that Wright was instructed by a team doctor to stay inactive for three more weeks. Optimistically, this pegs Wright's return for mid-July.

Wright was told to continue to do nothing, except for some core exercises. He was hoping to get clearance to begin rehabbing more seriously, but that was not the case. What's curious is that Wright did not undergo any new tests Friday, but the doctor made this recommendation based on the old X-rays Wright had. Three weeks for a stress fracture of the back did seem quite optimistic from the get-go, though.

"I was going there hoping that at least soon I could start baseball stuff," Wright said as quoted by Adam Rubin of ESPN NY. "It doesn't look like that's going to be the case."

Alderson tried to lighten the mood around missing one one of the team's biggest stars for even more time:

"Maybe we'll have David back for Santana's first start," Alderson said. "You never know."

Wright explained what the doctors told him:

"According to the doctors, for a bone to heal or repair itself or be better, it takes about six weeks. I was hopeful, and I think the doctors were hopeful, the six weeks might have started after the injury and not after I stopped playing. It might have been wishful thinking that it was healing itself while I was still playing, but obviously that wasn't the case."

This comes as even worse news as Ike Davis, who's also been out for three weeks witha fractured ankle, was told days ago his injury was not healing correctly. Thus, he's also been instructed to remain in a walking boot for three more weeks, and he really has no idea when he'll return to the lineup.

Braves 6, Mets 3: Mets Set Record For Consecutive Home Losses When Leading After Seven Innings

There are two themes to tonight's latest New York Mets loss -- new and innovative ways to blow leads and continued futility in the later innings. The Mets grabbed a 3-1 lead against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning. That advantage became nullified in the eighth inning, then all hopes were lost in the ninth as the Mets ultimately lost 6-3.

No team has ever lost six straight games at home when they held a lead in the seventh inning or later. But the Mets have, setting a new record.

It's a shame the Amazin's blew this one. Jon Niese was spectacular on the mound, tossing 7 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits and striking out seven. Instead of what seemed like an easy win, he gets the no decision.

Jason Isringhausen came in to relieve Niese, but walked the first guy he faced, then threw a wild pitch and induced an easy ground ball to Jose Reyes at short. On a play that Reyes makes 99 times out of 100, he stabbed at the ball to his left and missed it, bringing the tying run home.

Shutdown set-up man Jonny Venters allowed a measly single and struckout two in the bottom of the eighth, so the Mets weren't able to scratch a run across.

Francisco Rodriguez came in for the ninth inning, with a tied game, and promptly got battered around. He allowed a home run to Eric Hinske, and later a two-out, two-run Freddie Freeman double to put the game out of reach for the Mets against a nearly unstoppable closer in Craig Kimbrel. To add insult to injury, Hinske was only in the game because Jordan Schafer bunted a ball that hit his face in the fifth inning.

Mets Vs. Braves: Mets Hope To Build Off Seven-Run Comeback

Terry Collins blew up after Wednesday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. After three innings Thursday, a 7-0 deficit to the Pittsburgh Pirates, it almost looked like he'd be sending the same message. Instead, the New York Mets came back -- erasing a seven-run deficit for the first time in almost 11 years to defeat the Pirates 9-8.

Friday begins a new test for the Amazin's: the Atlanta Braves. With a 31-26 record, the Braves may not seem like one of the better teams in the National League, but they certainly have the ability. Inconsistency lately, 6-4 in their past 10 games, has dropped them into third place -- 3.5 games behind -- in the NL East. Pitching has been the constant for them this year, but they've struggled to score runs, ranking 21st in runs, 22nd in AVG, 22nd in OBP and 20th in SLG.

The Mets may get somewhat of a break Friday night as they'll face the pitcher with the highest ERA (not counting Mike Minor or Julio Teheran who have gotten to fill in for Brandon Beachy on the DL). Lowe comes into the game with a 4.03 ERA and is coming off his worst start of the year, a 3 1/3 outing in which he gave up five earned runs against the Cincinnati Reds.

Jon Niese has really settled down this season after a rough start. He has a respectable 3.92 ERA and 1.43 WHIP and is coming off a start against the Philadelphia Phillies in which he gave up one run (not earned) in 6 1/3 innings while fanning six. With Jason Heyward on the DL, Chipper Jones always battling injuries and Dan Uggla struggling with a .175 AVG, Niese needs to take advantage of the less-than-optimal lineup for the Braves right now.

New York won two of the three games between these two teams played in mid-April.