The Atlanta Braves continued their dominance over the New York Mets with a tense 3-2 victory on Monday night at Citi Field, marking their fourth straight win in this season's head-to-head matchups. The game, which opened a four-game series in Queens, showcased the Braves' resilience and pitching prowess, particularly from Spencer Schwellenbach, who once again proved to be a thorn in the Mets' side.
Coming off a weekend where the Braves lost a crucial series to the Miami Marlins and suffered the setback of losing ace Chris Sale to a fractured left rib, Atlanta needed a spark. Schwellenbach provided just that, delivering seven innings of solid pitching, allowing only two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a single walk. His performance was a continuation of his remarkable success against the Mets, boasting a 2.06 ERA over five starts and leading the majors with 103 2/3 innings pitched this season.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was instrumental in the Braves’ offense, launching his ninth home run of the season in the third inning to kickstart a two-run frame against Mets starter Paul Blackburn. Acuña’s homer gave Atlanta an early 1-0 lead and underscored his impressive return from left knee surgery, with nine homers in just 101 at-bats since missing the first two months of the season. This home run came just hours after the Mets optioned his younger brother, Luisangel Acuña, to Triple-A Syracuse, adding an emotional edge to the moment.
Blackburn, who has struggled this season with a 6.92 ERA and a 1.692 WHIP, faced the Braves for the second time in less than a week. Despite loading the bases with no outs in the third inning, he managed to limit the damage to just one more run via a Sean Murphy sacrifice fly, leaving the Mets down 3-0 after two and a half innings. Blackburn lasted 4.2 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks, but ultimately couldn’t contain the Braves’ offense.
The Mets, now 46-33 on the season and losers of eight of their last ten games, struggled to mount a consistent offense against Schwellenbach. The Braves right-hander breezed through the first five innings on just 19 pitches, only allowing his first hits in the third inning with back-to-back singles by Brett Baty and Francisco Lindor. He then retired seven consecutive batters before Juan Soto’s two-run homer in the sixth cut the deficit to one.
Soto’s 17th home run of the season traveled an impressive 412 feet into the left-center-field seats, marking his eighth long ball in June alone. The Mets’ star slugger had a golden opportunity to ignite a comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning with two men on and two outs but was struck out swinging on a full-count slider from Braves closer Dylan Lee, who entered the game with runners on the corners.
Lee’s clutch strikeout not only preserved the Braves’ lead but also ended Atlanta’s franchise-long drought of 31 games without a save, a streak dating back to May 16. He then closed out the ninth inning in order, securing the win and providing a much-needed boost to the Braves’ bullpen.
Braves manager Brian Snitker praised Schwellenbach’s performance, noting his consistency against the Mets. “He’s been a rock for us in these matchups, going deep into games and giving us a chance to win,” Snitker said. Schwellenbach’s ability to limit the Mets has been a key factor in Atlanta’s dominance, with the Braves winning 27 of their last 37 games against New York, including all four meetings this season.
The Braves’ recent form has been strong, winning seven of their last ten games despite the setback against the Marlins. In contrast, the Mets have been on a downward spiral, losing eight of their last ten and struggling to cover the run line in five of their last six home games. The Braves have also enjoyed success against teams with winning records, winning four of their last five such games.
Offensively, the Braves have been led by consistent contributors like Austin Riley, who has hit safely in four straight games, and Matt Olson, who batted .455 in the recent series against the Mets. Juan Soto’s mixed performance, hitting .444 in Philadelphia but only .273 in the prior Atlanta series, reflects the Mets’ ongoing offensive challenges.
Looking ahead, the Braves will aim to capitalize on their momentum and the Mets’ struggles as the series continues. Schwellenbach’s impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio and low ERA make him a reliable anchor for the rotation, especially as the team copes with injuries to key pitchers like Sale. Meanwhile, the Mets will need to find answers quickly if they hope to turn their season around and halt the Braves’ winning streak.
Monday’s game was a microcosm of the season-long battle between these two NL East rivals — a showcase of Atlanta’s pitching depth and timely hitting against a Mets squad searching for consistency. With three games still to play in this series, the action is far from over, and fans can expect plenty more drama at Citi Field.
