The Braves have their longest losing streak since 2017 and are now looking up at the Mets in the standings.
Charlie Morton failed to make it out of the third inning as the Atlanta Braves dropped their sixth-straight game in an 8-3 loss to the New York Mets.
Morton’s evening got off to a good enough start by recording a pair of strikeouts in a perfect first. The Braves’ offense staked him to an early lead against Kodai Senga in the second. Travis d’Arnaud led off with a single. Eddie Rosario then bounced into a ground out by beat the throw at first. Adam Duvall then put the Braves on the board with a line drive homer to left that just snuck inside the pole for a 2-0 lead.
Duvall goes yard @Delta | #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/rVrytjyIYv
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 26, 2024
The Mets threatened in the home half of the second as Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias both singled, but Morton got Francisco Alvarez to pop out to Orlando Arcia to end the inning.
New York came roaring back in the third against Morton who completely lost his feel. Tyrone Taylor reached on an error by Austin Riley to start the inning and everything spiraled from there. Morton hit Francisco Lindor with a pitch and then walked Brandon Nimmo. J.D. Martinez then drove one to right that hit off the top of the wall for a grand slam to put the Mets in front 4-2.
New York wasn’t finished either. Morton got Pete Alonso to ground out for the first out, but then allowed a double to Jeff McNeil. Mark Vientos followed with a two-run shot to left to push the lead to 6-2. Iglesias grounded out for the second out, but Alvarez added on with a solo shot of his own to make it 7-2. That would be it for Morton as Daysbel Hernandez entered and got Taylor to fly out to bring the inning to a merciful end.
It was a tough outing for Morton who completely lost the feel for essentially everything in the third. He exited having allowed six hits and seven runs, although only five were earned. He walked one and had two strikeouts. It was the first time in Morton’s career that he has allowed three homers in a single inning.
The Mets added another run in the fourth on a bases loaded walk by Hernandez to Vientos.
The Braves managed just two hits and struck out nine times through 5 1⁄3 innings against Senga in his debut. He would leave the game with one out in the sixth after appearing to injure his calf while going to cover first on a pop out by Riley.
Marcell Ozuna greeted new Mets pitcher Eric Orze with his 29th home run of the season to cut the deficit to 8-3.
No. 29 on the year for the Big Bear pic.twitter.com/3mJffKy99t
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) July 27, 2024
Duvall rounded out the scoring with a solo home run in the ninth off Jake Diekman to round out the scoring at 8-4.
Outside of a trio of homers, it was more of the same for the Braves who simply can’t seem to get out of their own way. Atlanta is now looking up at the Mets in the wild card standings and have lost six-straight games for the first time since the 2017 season. Coincidentally, the 2017 season was the last time they failed to make the postseason.
The series will continue Saturday with Spencer Schwellenbach matching up against Tylor Megill.