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In the first game of a doubleheader, pinch hitter Charlie Culbertson came in and hit a walk off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Atlanta Braves (31-21) a 4-3 victory.
After a Johan Camargo leadoff walk, Culberson took a fastball to right field for the game winner which was his mother-n-law’s birthday. “When you pinch hit, you have to be ready to hit especially over the plate and luckily enough, I got one over the plate and got a good swing on it,” said Culbertson.
Devin Mesoraco seemed to be the hero after a ninth inning leadoff home run off of Shane Carle in the top of the ninth to give the New York Mets (25-25) a 3-2 lead.
After 31-minute rain delay, the bats of both teams woke up.
Max Fried had a rough start as he walked two including a run in. He didn’t get help from his fielders either. Catcher Tyler Flowers allowed a manageable high ball become a passed ball and Dansby Swanson committed an error all in the first inning.
Fried finished with 5 innings pitched, he struck out six, walked four and allowed 4 hits with one earned run.
The Mets came alive in the fourth inning after a single by Devin Mesoraco to left and then Luis Guillorme drove him in with a double to right. Nick Markakis misjudged the ball and it went over his head.
Atlanta responded by loading the bases after singles by Freddie Freeman and Markakis including a walk to Flowers with one out. Jacob deGrom snapped back into is groove and struckout Preston Tucker and Camargo back-to-back to get out the inning without any harm.
“We had opportunities to blow this game open multiple times but that’s what good pitching does. We had great at bats but that guy’s [deGrom] really good,” said braves manager Brian Snitker. The Braves left seven men on base.
After 31-minute rain delay, the bats of both teams woke up.
deGrom dealt with some adversity in the seventh inning. Flowers opened up the 7th with a line drive home run to centerfield. He walked Tucker and Camargo singled off Asdrubal Cabrera’s glove which trickled down to left field causing Tucker to get to third.
deGrom went seven innings and allowed five hits, struck out eight with three walks and a earned run.
The Braves couldn’t capitalize off the momentum as Swanson struck-out and pinch hitter Kurt Suzuki came in and hit a soft dribbler to first for the out.
Braves tied it in the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly from Markakis scoring Ozzie Albies after a leadoff bunt single.
Carl ended up with the win and Mets relieve pitcher Seth Lugo was awarded the loss.
