Dansby Swanson’s RBI single leading off the 10th inning sparked a three-run outburst and lifted the visiting Atlanta Braves to a come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the New York Mets.
The Mets were trying to start 2-0 for the third straight season while the Braves avoided their second consecutive 0-2 start.
Mets closer Edwin Diaz was one strike away from closing out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth when Marcell Ozuna homered to right field to knot the score at 2.
Michael Conforto and Amed Rosario had back-to-back singles off Luke Jackson in the bottom of the inning before Jackson retired Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil to force the second extra-inning game of the season under the 2020 rules in which a runner is placed on second base to start every inning. Matt Olson hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning Friday night to give the Oakland Athletics a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the first.
Adam Duvall, who made the final out of the ninth on Saturday, opened the 10th at second and scored when Swanson singled on Hunter Strickland’s third pitch. Swanson went to third on Johan Camargo’s single and scored on Ender Inciarte’s comebacker. William Contreras, batting for the first time in the big leagues, doubled on Strickland’s next pitch to score Camargo.
The Mets mounted a mini-rally against Jackson in the bottom half. With McNeil on second base to start the inning, Jake Marisnick and Pete Alonso each singled to load the bases. Eduardo Nunez flew out to Inciarte in shallow center and pinch-hitter Dominic Smith followed with a sacrifice fly before Alonso was forced at second on Wilson Ramos’ grounder.
Ozuna’s homer spared Max Fried the loss and cost Steven Matz the win.
Matz allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out seven over six innings. The first hit he allowed was a one-out solo homer in the second to Duvall, whose blast to right field bounced off a cardboard cutout of Willow, the dog owned by McNeil and his wife.
The Mets scored their runs in a five-pitch sequence in the fifth. Fried didn’t allow a hit until Conforto’s one-out double. Conforto scored when Rosario tripled on the next pitch. After Nimmo was plunked on a 1-0 pitch, McNeil lofted the tie-breaking sacrifice fly.
Fried allowed the two hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings.
–Field Level Media
