The New York Mets bounced back to their winning ways with a 8-5 win against the Atlanta Braves to kickstart their doubleheader Saturday.
After losing 9-6 in Game 2 of the five-game series on Friday, the Mets enjoyed a much better start this time around. Their bullpen also put up a much-improved display to see out the victory.
Veteran reliever Adam Ottavino pitched an immaculate slider to strike out Braves slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. during the top of the eighth.
“Adam Ottavino strikes out Ronald Acuña Jr. to get the Mets through the 8th!” – SNY
New York Mets fans on Twitter were left awestruck by the venomous delivery.
A few Mets fans didn’t waste the chance to rub Acuna Jr.’s nose in after he was struck out by Ottavino.
Warning: NSFW Language
The 9-6 loss from last night before was still fresh in the minds of Mets fans. Acuna Jr. reached the 500-hit milestone yesterday, but there was nothing to celebrate for him and the Braves tonight.
New York Mets hold on to their lead to survive a late scare
 helped their seventh twinbill of the campaign get off to a good start. He allowed only three hits in 5 1/3 innings for his third scoreless start this year.</p>
<p>Pete Alonso and Daniel Vogelback both singled to put the Mets up 2-0 after the first. Jeff McNeil, then, made it 3-0 with another single before Francisco Lindor’s two-run double made it 5-0 in the bottom sixth.</p>
<p>Lindor’s hit off Tyler Matzek bounced off the orange home run line and back into play. He now has 77 RBIs in 2022. He’s just four shy of tying the Mets’ single season record of 81 set by Jose Reyes in 2006.</p>
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Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson added a single each for the Braves to reduce the deficit to 5-2 during the seventh. It proved to be futile as James McCann and Starling Marte hit singles to make it 8-2 by the time we entered the eighth.
Olson, Robbie Grossman and William Contreras rallied from behind to make it 8-5 in the ninth. It certainly accounted for a grandstand finish, but the Mets survived the late onslaught.
The win allowed the New York Mets to regain their 4½ game cushion over the Braves atop the National League East.
