NEW YORK — Mets shortstop Bo Bichette drove in a career-high six runs, and the Braves lost 7-5 Friday at Citi Field. They may have also lost a starting pitcher to add insult to injury.
Braves starter Spencer Strider left the game after throwing 68 pitches and with what appeared to be a possible injury. Before exiting his eighth start of the season, Strider had allowed six runs on six hits. The right-hander issued a lead-off walk to Mets designated hitter MJ Melendez, who would score later in the fourth on a Bichette sacrifice fly, a run also charged to Strider.
Bichette hit a solo homer in the first and a grand slam in the second, providing the bulk of the Mets’ offense. The Braves (45-24) lost for the third time in a row and are now on just their second losing streak of at least three games this season.
Strider (4-2) threw five straight fastballs to open the game, then a slider to Bichette, the Mets’ No. 2 hitter, that Bichette fouled off. Bichette didn’t miss the next slider, belting it 383 feet over the wall in right.
Juan Soto came up next and worked a 3-2 count before destroying the sixth pitch of his at-bat, a high fastball, for a solo home run to right. Soto’s shot came off the bat at 109 mph.
The Braves scratched across a run in the top of the second when Ozzie Albies walked, took second on an errant pickoff throw that got away from Mets first baseman Jared Young, and scored on Dominic Smith’s RBI single to left.
Mets starter Nolan McLean’s second walk of the inning was to Austin Riley and preceded Mike Yastrzemski’s RBI single to right that scored Smith and moved Riley to third. But McLean (4-4) would go on to get out of the bases-loaded, no-outs jam with a strikeout, pop up and another strikeout.
That missed opportunity loomed large minutes later when Bichette came up with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning. The Mets’ shortstop hit an 0-1 fastball the other way for a grand slam, giving him his second two-homer game of the season.
Matt Olson hit a solo homer in the fifth off Mets reliever Cionel Pérez.
Albies hit an RBI single in the eighth to close the gap to 7-4, then pinch-hitter Eli White slapped an infield single down the third-base line, making it a 7-5 game. Pinch-hitter Rowdy Tellez popped up to left field to end the rally.
JR Ritchie threw five innings of scoreless relief after Strider had left in the fourth inning. Ritchie struck out five and gave up just two hits.
Friday night’s game began after a 76-minute rain delay.
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