New York Mets lose second straight game to the Atlanta Braves

The New York Mets were defeated by the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon.  The game took place at Citi Field in Flushing, New York and the final score was 4-3.  Steven Matz started for the Mets and he pitched pretty well.  James Loney had three hits and Asdrubal Cabrera had two hits to lead the Mets offense. 

Matz pitched six innings giving up four hits and two runs with two walks and seven strikeouts.  Jim Henderson pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run, Jerry Blevins pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and he struck out one and Addison Reed pitched an inning giving up a hit and a run with a walk and a strikeout.  Reed lost his first game of the season and Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. 

Aaron Blair pitched six innings giving up five hits and three runs with a walk and four strikeouts.  Alexi Ogando pitched 1/3 of an inning and walked a batter, Dario Alvarez pitched 2/3 of an inning and struck out one and Chris Withrow pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and he struck out one.  Hunter Cervenka pitched to one batter and retired him and Jim Johnson pitched an inning giving up a hit and he struck out one and saved his first game of the season. 

Cabrera had two hits, Yoenis Cespedes had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Wilmer Flores had a hit and an RBI.  Loney had three hits and drew a walk, Rene Rivera had an RBI and Loney hit two doubles.  Loney hit a triple and Cespedes and Flores each hit a homerun.  The Mets were 0-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.  Matz had a pickoff. 

Chase d'Arnad had a hit and an RBI, Ender Inciarte had a hit and drew a walk and Freddie Freeman drew a walk.  Jeff Francoeur had a hit and an RBI, Tyler Flowers had two hits and an RBI and Brandon Snyder had a hit.  Erick Aybar drew a walk, Adonis Garcia had a hit and Flowers, Snyder and Inciarte each hit a double.  Francoeur and Flowers each hit a homerun.  The Braves were 1-8 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.  d'Arnaud was caught stealing and Aybar committed an error.  Inciarte had an outfield assist. 

In the third Cespedes hit a solo homerun to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.  In the fourth Flores hit a solo homerun and it was 2-0 Mets.  Rivera hit a sac fly to push the Mets lead to 3-0 in the fourth.  In the fifth d'Arnaud hit an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-1 and Francoeur hit a solo homerun in the sixth to cut it to 3-2.  In the seventh Flowers hit a solo homerun and the game was tied at three.  Flowers was batting in the eighth and a wild pitch made it 4-3 Braves and that would be the final score. 

The two teams will play the third and final game of the series on Sunday afternoon.  The Mets will look to avoid an ugly sweep at the hands of the worst team in baseball.