Needing a win in the worst way, the Mets scored early and often against the Braves on Tuesday night to pick up a 13-5 win and snap a seven-game losing skid.
For the fourth start in a row, Spencer Strider just didn’t have it. He was lit up by the talented Mets lineup for eight runs over four innings. He surrendered eight hits and two walks, only striking out two while not getting a ton of swing-and-miss. It’s fair to wonder if Strider is hitting a wall in his first year back from the elbow surgery; for all of our sakes, let’s hope that’s the issue and not something more.
It was a high-flying affair early. The Braves got out to a 1-0 lead, but the Mets pounced back with three runs in the second and two in the third to take a 5-1 lead.
With the game seemingly in-hand, Clay Holmes imploded for New York and the Braves tied it up. Nacho Alvarez had a two-run double with the bases loaded — his first big league RBI — and Jurickson Profar and Matt Olson both drove in a run to make it 5-5.
Unfortunately, Strider promptly gave the game right back as three more runs scored for New York in the second. The Mets would add two more against Austin Cox in the fifth to put the game out of reach despite the early fireworks.
The series continues Wednesday with a pitching matchup that doesn’t inspire much confidence. It’ll be Carlos Carrasco for the Braves against lefty David Peterson for the Mets. First pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET.