The New York Mets dropped a staggering 14-3 bomb on the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field Monday night, absolutely pouring it on. This series opener in the rain was a wild one, turning into a total offensive explosion for New York and leaving Atlanta scrambling.
Early Jitters and Big Swings
The Braves came out swinging against rookie Zac Thornton in the first inning. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Drake Baldwin hit back-to-back singles. A Matt Olson double play almost helped Thornton escape, but Ozzie Albies, who loves crushing the Mets, snagged a two-out, two-strike RBI single to put Atlanta ahead. But New York fired right back. A.J. Ewing led off with a single, then Francisco Lindor ripped an RBI triple that *just* missed being a two-run homer. It hit the orange line and bounced back, and Acuna’s lackadaisical play after a leaping grab let Ewing score. Lindor, still at third, saw Francisco Alvarez hit one deep that Acuna caught to end the inning. After that wild first, Thornton settled in, striking out the final batter of the first, then two more in a perfect second, and another in the third, retiring seven straight. That’s some rookie grit!
Rain, Rockets, and a Lead That Blew Up
New York’s top of the order came through in the third. Ewing singled, then stole second, setting up Lindor for another shot. This one had more lift, a two-run shot to left field. Umpires reviewed it, upheld the call, and Lindor had all three RBI. But the Braves wouldn’t stay quiet. Albies, the ultimate Met killer, hammered his 24th career home run against New York in the next half inning, tying things up. Thornton hung tough though, limiting Atlanta with help from double plays in the fourth and fifth as rain started heavily. It was 3-3 in the fifth with bases loaded for New York, but Jared Young struck out, leaving them empty-handed. The Mets shrugged off the missed chance and the persistent rain. In the sixth, Marcus Semien clobbered a two-run home run off reliever Connor Thomas, who just entered for Perez. That was Semien’s second homer in as many games, his 11th of the season! He finished 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and three runs scored. After a 1-2-3 sixth, Thornton went back out for the seventh, retired Michael Harris II, and then Huascar Brazoban took over. Thornton’s final line: 6.1 innings, six hits, three earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts on 81 pitches. His ERA ticked up from 1.93 to 2.43, but the 24-year-old earned his second career win in five big league starts. What a performance for the young gun!
What’s Next for New York
The Mets took Game 1 of the series in emphatic fashion with that 14-3 drubbing. Thornton showed he can battle and the offense exploded, setting a serious tone. Atlanta will be looking to bounce back hard after getting shelled. This opener showed that when this New York lineup gets hot, they can put up some serious crooked numbers. They’ll need to keep that fire going as they continue this series.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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