Mets 5, Braves 3
NEW YORK -- Shortstop Wilmer Flores and left fielder John Mayberry homered Friday night and right-hander Bartolo Colon threw six solid innings as the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-3, at Citi Field.
The Mets (33-29) won their second in a row to ensure they'd remain at least a half-game ahead of the Washington Nationals in the NL East. The Braves (29-32) fell to 4-7 this month.
Colon (9-4) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks (both intentional) while striking out three. He earned a decision in his 25th straight start, tying a team record set by right-hander Dwight Gooden from June 2, 1993 through June 24, 1994.
Colon allowed five of his hits and both runs in the fifth and sixth but stranded a total of five runners in the two innings. Right-hander Carlos Torres bailed left-hander Alex Torres out of a jam in the seventh, when the Braves left the tying run on third after a comebacker by third baseman Juan Uribe.
Right-hander Jeurys Familia notched his 18th save despite loading the bases with one out in the ninth. But he got right fielder Nick Markakis to hit into a 4-6-3 double play.
Third baseman Eric Campbell had a run-scoring groundout in the sixth for the Mets while first baseman Michael Cuddyer delivered an RBI double an inning later.
For the Braves, second baseman Jace Peterson had two hits, including an RBI double in the fifth. Peterson scored the Braves final run in the seventh on a double play by Markakis. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski also had two hits.
Atlanta right-hander Alex Wood (4-4) allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings. He also helped himself with a run-scoring fielder's choice in the fifth.
The Mets took the lead when Flores, in his first big league at-bat in the cleanup spot, led off the second with a homer. In the fourth, Flores drew a one-out walk and scored on Mayberry's homer to left.
The Braves had just one hit through four innings before opening the fifth with three straight singles. Wood followed with a potential double play grounder to short, but Flores bobbled it and could only get the force at second as Pierzynski scored. Peterson followed with an RBI double to score Jonny Gomes.
Colon struck out center fielder Cameron Maybin before intentionally walking first baseman Freddie Freeman to load the bases for right fielder Nick Markakis, who grounded back to Colon to end the inning.
NOTES: The Mets placed RHP Erik Goeddel on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain and recalled IF Danny Muno from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Mets RHP Dillon Gee, who was sent to the bullpen when New York shelved its six-man rotation earlier this month, will make a spot start in Sunday's series finale. That will push back RHPs Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey to Monday and Tuesday. ... With LHP Dana Eveland making his Braves debut Thursday, Atlanta has now used more players this season (40) than it did all of last year (39). The franchise record for players used in a season is 50 in 2007. ... Three Braves prospects -- RHP Tyrell Jenkins, RHP Jorge Reyes and OF Mallex Smith -- were named to the South team in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game scheduled for June 23.