Atlanta Braves Take Down The Dark Knight and The Mets With Many Firsts

Braves Take Down The Dark Knight & Mets With Many Firsts

The Atlanta Braves are now 3-2 in their last five games after they defeated the New York Mets on Wednesday evening.  For the season, the Braves are 7-19 while the Mets are now 16-9.  How about we not look at the overall record and only in the past week.

This was the fifth game of the 2016 season between these two teams and the Mets have had the Braves number in all of them.  The Mets have outscored the Braves 21-8 in their four victories…but, they didn’t make it a fifth. Shucks!

Win-sler Dominants Mets Lineup

Braves starting pitcher Matt Wisler pitched a gem on Wednesday.  In one of his best performances of his young career, the 23-year-old had the Mets hitters very off balanced all night with his off-speed pitches.  Wisler pitched eight strong innings for the Braves giving up only one hit, two walks and had four strikeouts.

The one hit Wisler gave up was a 1-2 pitch to Asdrubal Cabrera that he lined to center field in the bottom of the 5th inning.  Wisler’s next pitch, he got Kevin Plawecki to ground into a double play.

Wednesday marked the third time in Wisler’s short career (23 MLB starts) that he pitched through eight innings.  In his first professional game, he went eight innings against the Mets on June 19, 2015 and picked up a victory in a 2-1 game.  His second ball game that he lasted through eight was his last start – the last game of the 2015 season – against the St. Louis Cardinals.  In this 2-0 victory, he went 8.2 innings giving up four hits.

This was Wisler’s first win of the 2016 season and has lowers his ERA to 3.24

Many Firsts On Wednesday 

Mallex Smith hit his first home run of his professional career – OFF MATT HARVEY!

Freddie Freeman got his first career hit off Matt Harvey.  He was previously 0-9 with three strikeouts

First time the Braves have beaten Harvey at Citi Field since 2012

First time the Braves shutout the Mets at Citi Field since April 18, 2014

The Braves lineup totaled eight hits off Harvey, the first time they’ve had more than seven (earlier this season)

After going 2-4 at the plate, it’s the first time since Opening Day that Freeman has a batting average above .260

First time (probably not, but maybe) that A.J. Pierzynski tagged up and made it to third base after a fly ball to center field

Bravos Do The Scoring

Smith hit an opposite field solo home run in the 5th inning to break the bat-silence from both teams.  This homer wasn’t originally a homer as it hit the top of the wall and bounced back into play.  Smith hustled out a triple for the Braves, but after a review, the umpires called it a home run.

In the 6th inning, Kelly Johnson led off the inning with a single of Harvey.  Then Johnson stole second base – his first of the season.  Pierzynski doubled to left that scored Johnson.  Brignac hit a fly ball to center field that Yoenis Cespedes easily caught, but Pierzynski tagged up and made it to third safety on a close play.  Then, Pierzynski came home on a wild pitch by Harvey.  This extended the Braves’ lead to 3-0.

The Braves took advantage of Mets catch Kevin Plawecki all night it seemed.  The wild pitch by Harvey in the 6th inning probably could have been ruled a passed ball because Plawecki should have blocked it.  Atlanta also had three stolen bases on Wednesday – Johnson, Smith and Erick Aybar.

Enticing Lift On The Way

Braves win 3-0, Wisler picks up his first win of the season, Arodys Vizcaino saved his third game of the year, Freeman is hitting, Smith is looking promising…what’s next?

Ender Inciarte has began baseball activity and could return to the Braves on Saturday.

Braves take on the Mets Wednesday at 1:10pm ET with Jhoulys Chacin on the mound for the Braves and Steven Matz for the Mets.