Braves slug 4 homers to rout Mets, salvage series split

NEW YORK (AP) — Matt Olson homered in consecutive games for the first time this season, and the Atlanta Braves overcame an injury to All-Star starter Reynaldo López in a 9-2 victory against the New York Mets on Sunday.

Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia and Ramón Laureano also went deep for the Braves, who salvaged a four-game split after losing the first two games of the series. They hold the top National League wild card and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of New York for second place in the NL East.

López pitched three shutout innings, lowering his major league-leading ERA to 2.06, before exiting with right forearm tightness. Atlanta already has a string of star players on the injured list.

Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer and Tyrone Taylor doubled twice for New York. Hours before the game, the Mets completed a trade with Washington for outfielder Jesse Winker. He received a nice ovation from the Citi Field crowd before striking out as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Olson threw his bat and helmet in frustration after striking out against David Peterson (5-1) in the first. But then Olson launched a three-run homer 426 feet into the upper deck in right field to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead in the fourth.

It was Olson’s fourth home run off the New York left-hander in 15 at-bats.

Arcia drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. He hit a solo homer in the seventh and Riley added a two-run shot off Ryne Stanek, who was making his Mets debut after being acquired Friday night in a trade with Seattle.

Laureano’s two-run drive in the eighth made it 9-0.

Dylan Lee (3-2) relieved López at the start of the fourth and fired two scoreless innings.

New York had six hits, including four doubles, through the first five innings but was unable to score, going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Mets threatened in the fifth after a leadoff double by Taylor, but he was thrown out at the plate by Laureano on Ben Gamel’s single to center field.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: LHP Max Fried (forearm) played long toss in the outfield. He is eligible to come off the injured list Friday.

Mets: CF Harrison Bader missed his fifth straight game with a sore right ankle. … RHP Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) made a rehab appearance with High-A Brooklyn, allowing two runs over two-thirds of an inning. … RHP Reed Garrett (elbow inflammation) will face hitters Wednesday before likely beginning a rehab assignment two days later.

UP NEXT

Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (0-0, 2.70 ERA) makes his first career start Monday night as Atlanta begins a three-game series in Milwaukee. The 28-year-old rookie spent nearly 10 years in the minors before being called up in mid-June. RHP Colin Rea (9-3, 3.60) pitches for the Brewers.

Mets: LHP Jose Quintana (5-6, 4.02 ERA) starts against Minnesota at home. RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (3-1, 3.27), a former Mets farmhand, pitches for the Twins.

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