Remembering Mets History (2022) Mets Sweep Twin-Bill Over Braves at Citi Field

Saturday August 6th, 2022: Buck Schowalter's New York Mets were coming off a loss to the Atlanta Braves the previous night but still holding a 3.5 game lead over them in first place. 

Today was a   37,790 came out to Citi Field. for this scheduled day-night double header.

The starters for the first game were the Mets David Peterson (5-2) & Jake Odorizzi (4-3) who was making his first start as an Atlanta Brave. 

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Starling Marte was hit by a pitch & Francisco Lindor reached on an infield single. Pete Alonso then singled driving in his 91st run of the year, to tie for the MLB lead for the Mets first run. 

Then Daniel Vogelbach singled to right field bringing in Lindor with the Mets second run. It was Vogelbach's tenth hit & sixth RBI since joining the Mets on July 24th, in this his 12th game.

In the bottom of the 3rd. Francisco Lindor singled. He reached second when Jake Odorizzi made a throwing error on an attempted a pick off. Jeff McNeil singled to right bringing in the Mets third run.

The Mets, David Peterson shut out the Braves thru the first five innings giving up just three hits, with three walks & four strike outs. In the top of the 6th, he notched his fifth strike out, then Buck Schowalter brought in Seth Lugo who retired the next two batters.

In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets had another two-out rally. Brandon Nimmo & Starling Marte both walked. Francisco Lindor blasted his 17th double, a shot to right center field that had to be reviewed as it just missed being a HR. Both Nimmo & Marte scored making it 5-0 as Lindor reached 76 RBIs on the season.

In the top of the 7th, Orlando Arcia doubled & Ronald Acuna Jr. singled bringing in Arcia with the Braves first run. After Seth Lugo hit Austin Riley with a pitch, Buck Schowalter removed him for Adam Ottavino. Matt Olson immediately singled to bring in Acuna with the Braves second run.

In the bottom of the 7th, with one out, Mark Canha was hit by a pitch for the 13th time on the season. Luis Guillorme singled to left field. 

James McCann then hit a much-needed single to left field scoring Canha making it 6-2. Brandon Nimmo then reached on an infield single to load the bases.

Starling Marte collected an RBI single to right field scoring Guillorme. Francisco Lindor then hit his sixth sac fly of the season, scoring Brandon Nimmo with the Mets eighth run & his 77th RBI. 

Lindor Trivia: Lindor had a multi-three RBI game, his ninth game where he drove in at least three runs on the season. He would have 26 multi-RBI games & 12 games where he drove in three or more runs. Lindor collected three hits in the game as well & had eight multi-three hit games on the season.

In the top of the 9th Yohan Lopez couldn't close the door, Austin Riley doubled & Matt Olson drove him in with a single. Travis d'Arnaud then singled followed by Robbie Grossman's RBI double making it 8-4. Edwin Diaz had to be brought in again to close out the game.

Another Braves run scored when William Contreras grounded out. Yohan Lopez was charged with three runs on three hits. Lopez pitched just eight games for the 2022 Mets.

Edwin Diaz then struck out Eddie Rosario to end the game earning his 25th save of the year.

David Peterson earned his 6th win (6-2). After the game he was optioned to AAA Syracuse to keep him going as a starter, with an August 20th double header with the Phillies scheduled as was to be needed. With the win the Mets went 4.5 games up on the Braves.

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In the nightcap the Mets sent Max Scherzer (7-2) to the mound to face Max Fried (10-3) in the battle of the Max's. But it was all about Max Scherzer once again tonight.

Scherzer pitched seven innings, throwing a season high 108 pitches, shutting down the Braves offense to no runs on just four hits & matching his season high 11 strikeouts. 

It was the third time he reached 11 strike outs on the season & the fifth time he surpassed double digits in K's.

Quotes- Max Scherzer: "This is what you play the game for, you play to face the best, especially
deep in the season. You grind it out here in the NL East".

In the bottom of the 3rd, Tomas Nido led off with a double, two batters later Starling Marte drew a one out walk. Francisco Lindor then singled to center to load the bases. 

Pete Alonso then singled driving in the Mets first run of the game, driving in with his 93rd MLB leading RBI of the year. Alonso would collect three hits in the game.

Quotes- Pete Alonso: "We're motivated & we want to continue to play well. Our goal is to make the playoffs, win the division & have a chance to play for a World Series. Every single day is an opportunity to move one inch closer".

Next in a crazy play, Darin Ruf grounded to first base, Matt Olsen threw to Dansby Swanson to
get the out at second. Swanson threw wildly to first, where pitcher Max Freid was covering, he then made an off-balance throw to home, the throw went wild as Marte & Lindor both scored giving the Mets a 3-0 lead.

In the top of the 5th, Travis d'Arnaud doubled & Michael Harris singled. Ehire Adrianza hit a sharp grounder to Luis Guillorme at second. d'Arnaud tried to score from third, but Guillorme threw home & Tomas Nido tagged him for the out.

In the bottom of the 6th, Pete Alonso & Darin Ruf bothsingled to start the inning. After Eduardo Escobar flew out, Mark Canha hit a bouncer to third, Pete Alonso broke for home, Matt Olson threw home to Travis d'Arnaud who was blocking the plate. Alonso slid under the tag & into d'Arnaud, shaking him up, as he had to leave the game. After review, Alonso was ruled safe, making it 4-0 Mets.

In the 7th, Scherzer struck out the side to end his fine night.

In the 8th, Eduardo Escobar doubled to right field, his 21st double of the year. One of the newest Mets, Tyler Naquin pinch hit for Mark Canha, he delivered again with his eighth Mets hit in his eighth Mets game. The base hit drove in Escobar with the Mets fifth run.

After Luis Guillorme lined out, Tomas Nido pulled off one of the most exciting plays in baseball, he laid down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze, as Tyler Naquin scored from third base, making it 6-1 Mets.

The Braves put up a run in both the 8th & 9th innings off relievers Michael Givens & Trevor May. 

Trevor May in just his second game back after being on the IL since May 2nd, earned his first save of the year, getting Marcel Ozuna to line out to left field.

The Mets went to 69-39, thirty games over .500 for the first time since 2006. They took a 5.5 game lead over the Braves, their largest lead since June 21st. The double header sweep was their fourth on the year. They had now taken seven of eleven from Braves on the 2022 season.