Flushing, NY—-The second game of the three game weekend series between New York and Atlanta 0n Saturday night began after a one hour and two minute rain delay. The wait was well worthwhile for the Amazinns as they ended a five game losing streak with an 11-7 victory.
The Mets did not waste much time after the start of the contest to put numbers on the scoreboard. With one out in the first, Justin Turner blasted a solo home run into the rightfield seats. Daniel Murphy followed with a solid single to center. He scored on a David Wright double that reached the left-centerfield wall. The Mets scored the first two runs before Tommy Hanson threw his 11th pitch of the game.
The Braves batted around and scored five runs in the top of the third without hitting the baseball especially hard. Five timely singles, a base on balls and two ground ball outs that drove in runs did the damage against Mets starter Jonathon Niese. Mets catcher Josh Thole commented, “It was more misexecuted pitches than anything.”
Two of the base hits in the third extended hitting streaks. Braves rookies Freddie Freeman, the National League Rookie of the Month in July, extended his hitting streak to 20 consecutive games with an RBI single to center with no one out. The first sacker’s current mark is the MLB rookie high for 2011. If Freeman hits safely in the next three games, he will tie Alvin Dark, who hit safely in 23 straight games in 1948, for the Braves rookie record.
The next batter, Dan Uggla dribbled a ground ball down the third base line for an infield single. The hit extended his hitting streak to a career high of 27 games. Later in the contest, he hit his 24th homer of the season. The accomplishment of the duo is only the third time in the majors that teammates have had concurrent 20 or more game hitting streaks at the same time.
The Mets scored two additional runs in the bottom of the same inning to cut the deficit to a single run, 5-4. Angel Pagan walked and scored on a two-run homer by Jason Bay. The leftfielder, who has heard more than his share of jeers since joining the Mets, was cheered when the ball he hit entered the leftfield seats. After the contest, Mets skipper Terry Collins said, “I thought getting the two runs back was very good for us.”
A lead-off home run by Josh Thole tied the score at 5 in the fourth. Later in the inning, the Mets again took the lead, 7-5, as Turner hit his second homer of the contest, a two-run blast with Jose Reyes on base. Turner had 191 at bats without a home run before hitting his homer in the first. His two long balls marked his first multi-homer game in the majors.
The teams swung the bats very well as every position player in both starting lineups hit safely.
Each team scored several more runs, but the Mets advantage remained in effect. Niese, who hurled five innings, earned his 11th victory of 2011.
The rubber game of the series on Sunday afternoon will pit Dillon Gee (10-3) of the mets against Mike Minor (1-2).