Mets 5, Braves 3
Marlon Byrd and Ike Davis homered, and Zack Wheeler carried a shutout into the seventh inning as host New York beat NL East-leader Atlanta in the opener of their two-game series.
Wheeler (6-2) beat the Braves for the third time in 12 major-league starts, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings. Eric Young Jr. stole two bases and scored twice while LaTroy Hawkins recorded his fifth save.
Brandon Beachy (2-1) surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings for the Braves, who hold a 15-game lead over Washington in the NL East. Atlanta dropped to 13-4 in August and lost for just the sixth time in its last 26 contests.
New York carried a 1-0 lead into the sixth, then extended the advantage when Young stole third and scored on Atlanta catcher Brian McCann’s throwing error. Byrd hit his career-high 21st homer later in the frame, a two-run shot deep into the left-field seats to make it 4-0.
The Braves drew within 4-3 in the seventh on Andrelton Simmons’ three-run double to left with two outs off reliever Carlos Torres. Davis, who drove in New York’s first run with a first-inning single, led off the eighth with his eighth homer of the season - a long shot deep into the second deck in right field.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Byrd, who hit 20 homers with Texas in 2009, has recorded 18 extra-base hits since the All-Star break. … New York C Travis d’Arnaud doubled in the eighth for his first major-league hit. … Atlanta 3B Chris Johnson went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games, but his average dropped to .334 as St. Louis C Yadier Molina regained the lead for the NL batting title.