Atlanta rallied late for five runs in the eighth and ninth innings to capture a 6-3 victory over the New York Mets. Jonny Venters earned his fourth win of the season in relief of Derek Lowe. Francisco Rodriguez took the loss for the Mets after allowing three runs in the ninth inning.
Atlanta struck first in the second inning and Freddie Freeman got things started with a single to center field. After Dan Uggla flied out to right, Alex Gonzalez doubled giving the Braves runners at second and third. Joe Mather then reached on an infield single that scored Freeman and gave the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Derek Lowe breezed through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. Jose Reyes led off the inning with a triple to right. After a ground out, Carlos Beltran tied the score with an RBI single. Lowe then walked Jason Bay and the Mets took the lead on a Daniel Murphy single. New York would tack on another run in the inning when Bay scored on an Angel Pagan single making the score 3-1.
Atlanta wouldn't score again until the eighth when Chipper Jones led off the inning with his fifth home run of the season off of Mets starter Jonathan Niese. After retiring the next two batters, Niese was replaced by righty Jason Isringhausen who immediately walked Dan Uggla. After a wild pitch moved Uggla to second, Alex Gonzalez hit a ground ball that skipped past Jose Reyes at short enabling Atlanta to tie the game at 3-3.
Francisco Rodriguez came in to pitch the ninth for the Mets and got pinch hitter Matt Young to fly out to start the inning. Eric Hinske then hit a towering home run to right that gave the Braves back the lead at 4-3. Hinske replaced Jordan Schafer in the lineup after Schafer was injured when he fouled a ball off his face on a bunt attempt in the fifth inning.
Martin Prado followed Hinske's blast with a double but Chipper Jones struck out for the second out of the inning. With first base open, the Mets elected to intentionally walk Brian McCann to get to Freddie Freeman. Freeman then gave the Braves some insurance with a double to left-center field that scored both Prado and McCann extending the lead to 6-3.
Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth to record his 17th save of the season. That total is the most ever for a NL rookie before the All-Star Break.
Derek Lowe allowed three runs in six innings of work. He allowed seven hits while walking and striking out one batter. Mets starter Jonathan Niese surrendered eight hits and two runs in 7.2 innings pitched. He walked one and struck out seven. Neither pitcher figured in the decision.
Jonny Venters gets the win with a scoreless inning of relief while Francisco Rodriguez takes the loss after allowing three runs in the ninth.
Freddie Freeman raises his average to .278 with three more hits including two doubles and two RBI's. Martin Prado and Chipper Jones each had two hits apiece. Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, and Angel Pagan all had two hits for the Mets.