Field Level Media
Jun 19, 2019
Freddie Freeman and Josh Donaldson each homered for the second night in a row to help the Atlanta Braves bounce back with a 7-2 win over the visiting New York Mets on Wednesday.
Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his 21st, and Donaldson added a two-run shot, his 14th, in the sixth as part of a three-run outburst that put the Braves ahead to stay. The duo went back-to-back Tuesday in New York's 10-2 win.
The home run extended Donaldson's hitting streak to a season-high nine games. Donaldson went 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .385 (15-for-39) with six home runs during the hot streak.
The winning pitcher was Max Fried (8-3), who worked six innings and allowed two runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out six and earned his first career win against the Mets.
Three Atlanta pitchers covered the final three innings and allowed only one hit. Closer Luke Jackson finished with a scoreless ninth inning in a non-save situation.
Steven Matz (5-5) took the loss for New York. It was his first career setback in nine starts against the Braves. He allowed five runs on six hits, with four walks and two strikeouts in five innings.
New York's Jeff McNeil scored in the first inning on Michael Conforto's grounder to shortstop. Conforto later singled to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Atlanta took a 2-1 lead on Freeman's homer in the bottom of the first, but the Mets tied the score at 2-2 with a run in the fourth on Amed Rosario's RBI double.
The Braves took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth. Donaldson's two-run homer started the rally, and Ozzie Albies added an RBI double.
The Braves tacked on some insurance in the eighth inning when Nick Markakis delivered a pinch-hit double off the fence that drove in two runs.
Atlanta won two of three games against its National League East rival and completed its homestand with an 8-2 record. The Braves begin a 10-game road trip in Washington on Friday, when newly signed pitcher Dallas Keuchel is expected to make his first start. New York continues its 11-game road trip in Chicago.
--Field Level Media