Flushing, NY – Jonathon Niese stifled Atlanta over eight strong innings Sunday as the Mets salvaged the finale of a three-game set with a 6-5 victory at Citi Field.
Niese (9-6) allowed just one run on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts and improved to 2-0 against Atlanta this season.
David Wright clubbed a pair of doubles, knocked in a run and also scored twice on a pair of RBI singles from Ike Davis as the Mets snapped a seven-game skid against the Braves.
"I'm not making any excuses, we have not played well on any side of the ball," said Mets manager Terry Collins of his club. "This win helped, I don't care how it came about, I'm glad to get it."
Ben Sheets (4-2) was charged for five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over six innings to absorb the loss, while Freddie Freeman clubbed a solo home run and Martin Prado added a two-run double in the ninth, as the Braves wrapped up a six-game road trip at 4-2.
"I love this team because we battle all the way to the end," said Prado. "We came up short, but we tried. We played hard."
The Mets took the lead in their first at-bat as Mike Baxter stroked a one-out single and Wright followed with a double into the right-field corner.
Baxter scored easily on the play, while Wright moved to third as Jason Heyward's throw to second skipped into left field. Davis then singled home Wright for a 2-0 advantage.
Atlanta trimmed the margin in half in the second when Freeman crushed a leadoff homer into the bullpen in right-center field, but New York responded in the bottom half on Ruben Tejada's RBI single to restore a two-run lead.
The Mets tacked on a two-out run in the fifth as Wright kept the inning alive with a double to left and came around to score on Davis' base hit to give the home team a 4-1 lead.
Jordany Valdespin made it a four-run game in the sixth with a leadoff blast into the right-field seats, then scored a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Andres Torres to give the Mets a seemingly comfortable lead.
It wouldn't come easily, however, as the Braves loaded the bases in the ninth on a hit-by-pitch and a pair of walks by Josh Edgin. Frank Francisco entered next and walked pinch-hitter Juan Francisco to plate a run and bring the tying run to plate.
Michael Bourn then walked to bring the Braves within 6-3 and Prado followed with a slicing double into right field to score a pair and pull the Braves within a run.
But Jon Rauch was called upon to clean up the mess and the right-hander fanned Heyward to nail down his second save of the season.
Game Notes
Wright's run-scoring double in the first was the 800th RBI of his career...Sheets fell to 5-3 in 10 career starts against the Mets...Niese pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs -- three earned -- on two hits and four walks in a 7-5 victory over the Mets on April 8 at Citi Field.
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