Mets 4, Braves 3
Mets 4, Braves 3: Matt Harvey struck out a career-high 13 over seven-plus innings as visiting New York held on to defeat Atlanta in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Harvey (6-1) walked only two through six frames before Jason Heyward broke up his no-hit bid with an infield single to begin the seventh. The right-hander was pulled after loading the bases to open the eighth and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Rice let all three inherited runners score.
Atlanta loaded the bases again following an intentional walk to Freddie Freeman, but closer Bobby Parnell fanned Chris Johnson to end the threat and worked around a one-out single in the ninth for his 10th save. Alex Wood (0-1) yielded one hit and struck out five, but departed after three innings due to a blister on his left hand.
Daniel Murphy singled and moved to second on a balk after Wood opened the third with a pair of strikeouts. Following a walk to David Wright, Murphy alertly scored from second on Marlon Byrd’s infield single, never breaking stride until he slid under catcher Gerald Laird’s tag for the game’s first run.
John Buck greeted Cory Rasmus with a solo shot to start the fourth and New York stretched the lead to 4-0 in the eighth on Jordany Valdespin’s bases-loaded walk and Omar Quintanilla’s sacrifice fly. The Braves countered with all of their offense in the bottom half on Jordan Schafer’s two-run single and Heyward’s RBI double.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Buck’s homer was his first since May 24. … Harvey (2.16 ERA) became the first pitcher since Dwight Gooden to carry an ERA lower than 2.30 through his first 25 career starts. … Atlanta placed C Evan Gattis (strained oblique) on the disabled list prior to the start of the doubleheader. INF Tyler Pastornicky was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.