Mets win in Atlanta for first time in more than a year
Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against Atlanta, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Atlanta. Credit: AP/John Bazemore
ATLANTA — For the first time in one year and four days, the Mets won a game at Truist Park.
They rocked Atlanta, 10-4, on Monday night behind a well-rounded offensive effort that featured home runs from Francisco Lindor, DJ Stewart and Rafael Ortega.
That snapped their seven-game losing streak in Georgia. Since the Mets last won here on Aug. 17, 2022, the ballpark had been a house of horrors for them. Featured amid that miserable stretch was a pair of three-game sweeps: the infamous season-ruining series last September/October, followed by a damaging set during their spiral this June.
“It’s a hard place to win,” manager Buck Showalter said, “because they’re really good.”
Key to the streak-ender: seven runs in 4 1⁄3 innings against righthander Allan Winans, a former Mets minor-leaguer starting against his former organization for the second time this month.
Winans gave up homers in the second inning to Stewart (fifth in six games) and Ortega (first of the year).
The Mets took the lead with a four-run fifth inning. Jeff McNeil (3-for-5) had the tying single and Pete Alonso (2-for-5) had the go-ahead single to go up 5-4.
Lindor’s three-run blast came off Brad Hand, another former Met, in the sixth. The shortstop is up to 78 RBIs.
Every Mets starter except Jonathan Arauz had at least one hit.
“The guys that set the examples, like Pete and Jeff and Nim and Lindor, they continue to play the game,” Showalter said. “The guys are following that lead.”
Lefthander David Peterson allowed four runs in 4 2⁄3 innings and was pulled by Showalter when he was an out away from becoming eligible for the win. About to bat: Marcell Ozuna, who homered in both of his first two at-bats against Peterson.
Showalter said he loved that Peterson “didn’t implode” when Atlanta (80-44) had other scoring chances.
The Mets (59-67) have won five of their past six games and seven of nine.
“Obviously, everyone knows what happened at the [trade] deadline,” Stewart said. “There was a little bit of a learning period — learning everyone, what everyone can do, whether you played with them in spring training or not. Just getting comfortable with everyone. I think you’re seeing that on the field. The clubhouse is upbeat. We’re enjoying playing with each other.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
