The magic has returned to Queens.
For the last two weeks, nobody has been able to stop the New York Mets. Tonight was no different, as the Metsies, down 2-1 in the 7th inning managed to grind out their 10th win in a row over the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.
The Mets entered the game with an interesting lineup, with John Mayberry Jr. in the leadoff spot and Ruben Tejada replacing Daniel Murphy at second base while batting eighth. The red hot Curtis Granderson was given a day off due to Mayberry's dynamite numbers against Atlanta starter Eric Stults; a .455 batting average and a home run on April 10th. Mayberry led off the game with a triple but the Mets failed to bring him home.
Stults lasted six innings, allowing just four hits and one earned run while striking out five. Meanwhile, New York's Dillon Gee survived a few scares to reach a line of 7 innings, 8 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. Gee struggled in his first start of the season against the Braves on April 11th, but he looked much stronger the second time around.
Andrelton Simmons opened up the scoring for Atlanta with a 2nd inning RBI single, scoring A.J Pierzynski. Terry Collins challenged the close play at the plate, but the call was upheld. In the bottom half of the inning, Wilmer Flores tied the game with an RBI single of his own. Atlanta retook the lead in the top of the fifth, when former Met Eric Young Jr. scored on an Alberto Callaspor sacrifice fly after smacking a triple into right field.
The Mets hung around though, as Juan Lagares made a mind-boggling catch in center field in the top of the seventh inning.
The Mets have shown plenty of fight during their win streak, scoring a plethora of runs in the later innings. Flores continued the trend in the seventh, knocking his team leading 3rd home run of the season into the left field seats to tie the game at two. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, the Metsies rallied, as Lucas Duda looped an RBI single into left field after Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares reached base to open the inning.
Jeurys Familia closed out the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning, earning his seventh save of the season. Familia is now a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities, and has only allowed four hits in his 8 2/3 innings of work.
On Thursday afternoon at 1:10pm, the Mets will look to sweep the Braves and win their 11th straight game, which would propel them to 13-3, their best start since 1986.