Field Level Media
Aug 25, 2019
Dallas Keuchel and Josh Donaldson thrived again against the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon, with Keuchel tossing seven scoreless innings and Donaldson hitting two homers as the visiting Atlanta Braves completed a three-game series sweep with a 2-1 win.
The Braves have won eight straight. The recent three-game losing streak is the second in August for the Mets, who entered Sunday with the best record in the majors (27-12) since the All-Star Break.
Keuchel (5-5) allowed four hits and walked three while striking out seven. The Mets got just two runners into scoring position against the 31-year-old left-hander, who retired Rene Rivera on a comebacker to strand Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares at the corners in the second before he left J.D. Davis at second in the seventh.
The outing was the longest scoreless appearance of the season for Keuchel, who signed with the Braves on June 7. Keuchel's previous longest scoreless start also came against the Mets, whom he blanked for six innings on Aug. 14.
Donaldson put the Braves ahead when he led off the second by homering just beyond Davis' grasp in left field. The Braves got just one more runner into scoring position against Steven Matz (8-8) before Donaldson greeted Paul Sewald with a homer to right-centerfield leading off the seventh.
Donaldson is batting .393 with nine homers and 15 RBIs against the Mets this season. His nine homers tie Henry Aaron for the most by a Braves player against the Mets in a single season. Aaron did it in 1962.
Sean Newcomb tossed a perfect eighth and Mark Melancon notched his sixth save despite allowing a run on three hits in the ninth. Pete Alonso led the inning off with a double and scored on a fielder's choice by Todd Frazier. After Wilson Ramos delivered a pinch-hit single, Melancon ended the game by retiring pinch-hitter Joe Panik on a grounder to first.
Matz allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.
--Field Level Media