QUEENS, NY — Even a return to Citi Field could not stop the New York Mets’ losing streak, as they dropped their ninth game in 10 attempts with a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Monday night — the first of a four-game series.
Juan Soto’s two-run homer in the sixth inning was the only error by Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Schwellenbach, who pitched seven innings, giving up just four hits, and recording four strikeouts and a walk.
Soto had a chance for a defining Mets moment in the bottom of the eighth with two men on and two outs, but struck out on a full-count slider from Braves closer Dylan Lee.
The Braves, who previously swept the Mets (46-33) last week in Atlanta, have won the first four encounters this season.
With a 1-0 lead in the third against Mets starter Paul Blackburn, Ronald Acuna hit his ninth home run of the season to center field shortly after the Mets sent his younger brother, Luisangel, down to Triple-A.
Blackburn’s issues escalated as he loaded the bases with no outs, allowing one more run on a Sean Murphy sacrifice fly, putting the Mets in a three-run deficit after two and a half innings.
He pitched 4.2 innings, managing to hold the Braves to just three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
Meanwhile, the Mets were consistently stymied by Schwellenbach, who sailed through the first five innings. The Atlanta righty got through the first two frames with just 19 pitches and allowed his first hits of the night with two outs in the third — back-to-back singles by Brett Baty and Francisco Lindor.
Schwellenbach then retired the next seven batters before Soto cut the Mets’ deficit to one in the sixth. With two outs and Brandon Nimmo on first after a walk, Soto drove a 1-1 sinker 412 feet into the left-center-field seats for his 17th homer of the season.
Eight of those home runs have come this month.
After a perfect seventh inning, Schwellenbach was replaced after 89 pitches by demoted closer Raisel Iglesias. Iglesias gave up two consecutive two-out hits to Lindor and Nimmo, placing runners at the corners for Soto. Braves manager Brian Snitker then called in his closer, Lee, who struck out Soto with a sinker out of the bottom of the zone.
Lee retired the side in the ninth, securing the Braves’ first save in 31 games dating back to May 16.
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