Brandon Nimmo’s 4 hits, 5 RBI lift Mets to win over Braves

ATLANTA — DJ Stewart hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give New York the lead, Brandon Nimmo drove in five runs with four hits, including two homers, and the Mets held on to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-7 on Monday night.

The Mets, who have won four of five, snapped Atlanta’s three-game winning streak on the night Atlanta celebrated the 50-year anniversary of Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th homer.

Nimmo began the night hitting .103 with no homers.

“It feels good for some of those to fall where they can’t catch them,” Nimmo said. “It felt good. It doesn’t mean I’ve figured it out and the next game is going to be great.”

Marcell Ozuna hit his fifth homer of the season for the Braves, matching Mookie Betts and Tyler O’Neill for the most in the majors.

Pierce Johnson (2-1) gave up a single to Brett Baty with one out in the eighth before Stewart’s first homer of the season cleared the center field wall, snapping a 5-all tie. Stewart was 0-for-10 this season before the homer.

“It meant a lot,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza of Stewart’s homer. “He’s one of those who is grinding and not getting the results.”

Mets right-hander Jorge López gave up a double to Matt Olson to open the ninth. Ozuna advanced Olson to third with a drive that Jeff McNeil caught at the left-field wall. Olson scored on a single to right field by Michael Harris II, trimming the New York lead to 8-7.

Orlando Arcia popped out and López earned his first save when Travis d’Arnaud lined out to right field.

Mets right-hander Drew Smith issued a bases-loaded walk to Ozzie Albies in the eighth. Smith ended the inning on Austin Riley’s grounder.

Right-hander Julio Teheran lasted only 2 2/3 innings, giving up four runs, in his Mets debut. Teheran, 33, signed with New York on Friday. He began his career with Atlanta in 2011 and was an All-Star with the Braves in 2014 and 2016.

Albies’ two-run double off Teheran in the third came before Ozuna’s homer, which carried 442 feet to left-center, extended the lead to 4-0.

Braves right-hander Charlie Morton walked five batters while giving up five hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Jake Diekman (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh.

The 50-year anniversary of Aaron’s 715th homer brought back members of the 1974 Braves, including Dusty Baker, Ralph Garr and Tom House.

“It was a lot of fun, a lot of laughs,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “It was a great event just to get all the guys back together.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RHP Yohan Ramírez was designated for assignment and the team called up right-hander Cole Sulser from Triple-A Syracuse. Ramírez was 0-1 with an 11.81 ERA in three games.

Braves: The Braves could soon have more clarity on the status of ace RHP Spencer Strider, who was placed on the IL as expected on Sunday after an MRI on Saturday revealed a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Strider, facing possible season-ending Tommy John surgery, had a second evaluation of the MRI on Monday.

UP NEXT

Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 1.50 ERA) was scheduled to face New York right-hander Adrian Houser (0-0, 1.80) in the second game of the four-game series on Tuesday night.

In:
• MLB