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 Down in the bullpen, right-handed pitcher Jeurys Familia had an even
more optimistic outlook.
"One of the girls in the kitchen just told me Familia was in there
to get some water in the fifth inning and said 'I don't care what
the score is. We are going to win'" Mets manager Terry Collins said
Sunday afternoon. "That's the confidence in the room."
It proved warranted Sunday, when centerfielder Juan Lagares'
three-run sixth-inning homer capped a stunning comeback by the Mets,
who went on to beat the Atlanta Braves, 10-8, at Citi Field.
The Braves jumped out to leads of 5-1 and 8-3 against Mets
right-hander Dillon Gee, but New York stormed back against Atlanta's
starter, right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, as well as right-hander
Brandon Cunniff and left-hander Luis Avilan.
"I just think everybody stayed positive," Mets left fielder Darrell
Ceciliani said. "Everybody was upbeat on the bench. It was just a
good feeling. Not going down without a fight was kind of the
mentality."
The Mets, who scored a run in the first when right fielder Curtis
Granderson raced home on a wild pitch and two more in the third on a
two-run single by shortstop Wilmer Flores, really began to chip away
when Ceciliani and second baseman Dilson Herrera hit solo homers in
the fourth.
After first baseman Lucas Duda chased Foltynewicz with a one-out
single in the fifth, catcher Travis d'Arnaud greeted Cunniff with a
two-run homer to pull the Mets within 8-7.
"With Travis' home run, I said 'We've got a shot here'", Collins
said. "The guys just kept talking about pushing, pushing, pushing.
What we had to worry about was our bullpen because we were out of
pitching."
But left-hander Sean Gilmartin (1-0) threw a hitless fifth and sixth
to begin quieting the Braves. Gilmartin and right-handers Bobby
Parnell, Hansel Robles and Familia combined to allow two hits over
the final five innings, during which Atlanta didn't get a baserunner
beyond first base.
"They came in and they closed the door," d'Arnaud said. "They kept
putting up zeroes on the board. They picked us up when we needed
them."
The go-ahead rally began with singles by pinch-hitter Michael
Cuddyer and right fielder Granderson against Avilan (2-2) before
Lagares homered to left three pitches later.
"Amazing win," Lagares said. "The whole team battled the whole game.
Doesn't matter the deficit, we never gave up."
Familia, who was away from the park Saturday following the birth of
his son late Friday night, earned his 19th save after recording the
final four outs to seal the Mets biggest comeback win in almost four
years.
The Mets (34-30), who remained a half-game ahead of the Washington
Nationals in the NL East, hadn't come back from a five-run deficit
since Sept. 22, 2011, when they beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6
after trailing 6-1 in the seventh.
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"You've got to play nine innings, you can't cash it in in the fifth
or the third or the fourth," Collins said. "You've got to get out
and compete. Even on the bench after we got behind early, got a
couple runs back, got another run back, the energy on the bench was
great."
The Braves (30-33) were decidedly less enthused after losing for the
fourth time this season when scoring at least eight runs.
"We gave up some runs and couldn't stop them from scoring," Braves
manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The five-run blown lead wasn't even the biggest of the year for
Atlanta, which had a pair of eight-run leads in a 13-12 loss to the
Nationals on April 28.
The Mets and Braves combined for 28 hits on Sunday. Every position
player starter had at least one hit except Braves shortstop
Andrelton Simmons, who had four hits Saturday. Lagares and Braves
second baseman Jace Peterson each missed the cycle by a triple.
Peterson scored the Braves' first run in the first on a single by
Freeman and hit a three-run homer in the second. After left fielder
Kelly Johnson's RBI single in the third, Peterson doubled with one
out to begin a three-run outburst that included RBI hits by right
fielder Nick Markakis, Uribe and Johnson.
Uribe's run-scoring single finally chased Gee, who gave up eight
runs (tying a career high) on 11 hits and one walk while striking
out four over 3 2/3 innings.
But Foltynewicz was no better. He surrendered six runs (five earned)
on nine hits and one walk while striking out three over 4 1/3
innings.
"I just didn't have it today," Foltynewicz said. "They gave me a
five-run lead and I just didn't take advantage of it."
NOTES: To make room for the returns of RHP Dillon Gee (bereavement
leave) and INF Ruben Tejada (paternity leave), the Mets optioned INF
Danny Muno and C Anthony Recker to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The Mets
on Saturday sent minor league LHP Brad Wieck to the San Diego Padres
as the player to be named later in the March 30 trade in which New
York acquired LHP Alex Torres. ... Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez
said after the game that RHP Williams Perez, who earned the save in
Saturday's 5-3, 11-inning win, will still start Monday's game
against the Boston Red Sox. ... The save was the second of Perez's
professional career and first since June 23, 2012, when he notched a
save for rookie-level Danville.
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