NEW YORK- Mets' starter Dillon Gee gives up eight earned runs in just 3.2 innings of work but home runs from Darrell Ceciliani, Dilson Herrera, Travis d'Arnaud and Juan Lagares, along with 5.1 innings of shut out baseball from the bullpen, lead the Mets to an improbable come-from-behind victory against the Braves, 10-8.
In a spot-start type of roll, Dillon Gee took the mound for the Mets on Sunday trying to rid all of the speculation and boos surrounding him. Since returning from his groin injury Gee has significantly struggled and because of it he was demoted to the bullpen last week. Sunday was a chance for him to prove himself to the Mets' organization and fans that he still belonged in the starting rotation. The Braves, though, had different ideas.
Atlanta hitters got to Gee early as Freddie Freeman singled on a line drive to right field in the 1st inning that scored Jace Peterson giving the Braves a 1-0 lead. The Mets quickly tied things up 1-1 in the bottom of the 1st when Curtis Granderson scored on a passed ball by Christian Bethancourt.
From there, the day went south for Gee.
Jace Peterson hit a three-run home run off from him in the top of the 2nd inning and Kelly Johnson hit a RBI single in the 3rd inning to give the Braves a commanding 5-1 lead.
Wilmer Flores cut the lead to 5-3 with a two-run single in the bottom of the 3rd inning, but Atlanta rocked Gee in the 4th inning for three runs, highlighted by a Nick Markakis RBI ground-rule double, pushing the lead to 8-3 and ending Gee's afternoon.
Gee left the mound at Citi Field to a chorus of boos and from there it was the bullpen's job to get through the rest of the game.
Despite the crooked score line the Mets never seemed out of this game. Braves' starter Mike Foltynewicz was severely struggling himself but it was heavily masked by the outing Gee had just showcased.
The Mets cut the lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the 4th inning when both Ceciliani and Herrera went deep, and from there the comeback was on.
After giving up a hit to Lucas Duda in the 5th inning, Braves' manager Fredi Gonzalez had seen enough of his starter Foltynewicz and called upon reliever Brandon Cunniff to face Travis d'Arnaud. Cunniff continued the Braves downward spiral as one of the worst bullpens in the league as he served up a two-run home run to d'Arnaud cutting the lead to just one, 8-7.
With that lead being just "Juan", it was the Mets' center fielder Juan Lagares who put the icing on the comeback with a decisive three-run home run in the 6th inning that gave the Mets a 10-8 lead and eventually the victory.
More impressive than the comeback, though, was the bullpens performance in long relief. The Mets relievers went 5.1 innings only allowing one base hit and bandaged the bleeding on what could have been a long day at Citi Field.
The Mets are back at it tomorrow night as they begin a four game, split home series against the red hot Toronto Blue Jays. Former Blue Jays' prospect Noah Syndergaard (2-4, 4.15 ERA) gets the start for the Mets against Mark Buehrle (7-4, 4.25) and the Jays.
The Braves will head to Boston tomorrow to also begin a four game, split home series against the reeling Red Sox. Williams Perez (2-0, 2.70 ERA) will take the mound for the Braves against Rick Porcello (4-6, 5.26 ERA) and the Sox.