Freddy Peralta overcame a laborious first inning to toss five solid frames and earn the win Sunday afternoon, when the host New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 8-1 in the rubber game of a three-game series.
A.J. Ewing went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs for the Mets, who went 3-3 on their homestand. Ewing, Jared Young and Brett Baty all had an RBI during a four-run first inning before Ewing and Marcus Semien homered in the fifth.
Juan Soto had two hits, including a two-run single in the eighth, and drew two walks. Baty, Carson Benge and Bo Bichette finished with two hits each.
Dominic Smith had a sacrifice fly for the Braves, who have dropped four of five – their worst five-game stretch of the season.
Peralta (5-4) gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out two. He retired 14 in a row between the first and fifth and allowed just one runner beyond first base after the first.
Bryce Elder (5-5) took the loss for the Braves after allowing six runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out two over four-plus innings. Elder’s ERA rose from 2.66 to 3.15.
Peralta opened the game by giving up consecutive singles to Michael Harris II, Mauricio Dubon and Matt Olson before he struck out Ozzie Albies. Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to left before Peralta got Austin Riley to pop up.
The Mets answered by sending eight batters to the plate against Elder, who issued a leadoff walk to Benge and gave up a single to Bichette before Soto’s bunt forced Benge at third.
Bichette scored on Young’s single and Soto raced home on Ewing’s double before Young scored on a throwing error by left fielder Mike Yastrzemski.
After Semien struck out, Baty laced a run-scoring single to center.
Ewing and Semien chased Elder by homering to lead off the fifth.
Benge and Bichette singled to open the eighth and advanced a base apiece when Albies’ shovel toss to first on Bichette’s dribbler skipped past Olson. Soto followed with a single to center.
