Late-inning drama took Truist Park by storm for the second straight day. Once again, the Braves fell to the Mets in a thriller, this time splitting the series.
The Braves mounted a two-run ninth-inning rally to tie the game but succumbed to the funk that has captivated them since early June, falling 7-6 in 10 innings to their National League East foe.
For a second straight day, the Braves’ bullpen allowed five runs late. Rookie Owen Murphy surprisingly made his big-league debut in a high-leverage situation to start the 10th inning and gave up the deciding runs on a two-run single from Luis Torrens with two outs.
“I thought Owen did a great job, being in a role that he’s never really been in,” first baseman Matt Olson said. “Coming (out) in the pen in the 10th with a guy starting on second. That curveball just got hit. I’m sure he had a lot of emotions going with the debut.”
Olson restored order at 5-5 with a two-run shot to the opposite field after having a chance to finish off their first series win since June 19-21 in the top of the frame. All-Star closer Raisel Iglesias blew his 35-game save streak after Juan Soto, down to his team’s last out, mashed a go-ahead three-run shot to deep right.
“I feel good every time he’s in the game, regardless of the situation,” Weiss said of Iglesias. “He never gets rattled. Been one of the better closers in the game for a while.”
Before Iglesias’ implosion in the ninth, the Braves’ pen worked together three innings of one-run ball after starter Reynaldo López dished out five innings of one-run ball, punching out five and walking two.
The effort was his second straight start of five innings and seventh outing allowing one run or less since a dismal four-run relief outing against the Blue Jays on June 4. His fastball velocity sat in the mid-to-high 90s throughout the outing.
“It always feels good to do your job and to put the team in position to at least battle for the win,” Lopez said. “And it’s nice to rattle off two in a row like that.”
Didier Fuentes was the first arm used out of the Braves’ pen. He worked around traffic on the basepaths to limit the Mets’ damage in the sixth to just one run, thanks to a 7-6-2 relay from Mauricio Dubón, Jim Jarvis and Drake Baldwin, which gunned down Mets shortstop Bo Bichette at the plate.
Dylan Lee and Tyler Kinley each turned double plays that stranded runners in their respective scoreless frames, before the All-Star Iglesias took over in the ninth.
The seemingly endless late-inning drama continued in the bottom half of the frame and into the 10th. The Braves had a chance to tie or win with Dubón at the dish, but he grounded out to short to end the game.
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