LDN - Sports

Braves' Teheran records one-hit shutout vs. Mets

[June 20, 2016] NEW YORK -- Remakes are all the rage in Hollywood these days. On a sunny Father's Day afternoon at Citi Field, Atlanta Braves right-hander Julio Teheran almost brought the remake to baseball.

Teheran threw the first one-hit shutout of his career Sunday, when he faced one batter over the minimum as the Braves capped a three-game sweep of the New York Mets with a 6-0 win.

The 25-year-old walked none and struck out seven in throwing 82 of 120 pitches for strikes. Only a clean single leading off the third inning by Mets left fielder Michael Conforto kept Teheran (3-7) from equaling Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, who threw a perfect game against the Mets for the Philadelphia Phillies at Shea Stadium on Father's Day in 1964.

"Pretty close," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "When he does that, you look back at (the hit). He was absolutely incredible."

The hit came on a 3-1 pitch to Conforto, who worked himself ahead in the count by laying off two inside fastballs and a changeup. Catcher Tyler Flowers called for an outside fastball in hopes Conforto would chase, but he instead flared a clean single into shallow left-centerfield.

"I didn't want to go away, but since we missed three times, that was the smart play," Flowers said. "Don't go in, he's quick in, I figured he'd be looking for it. But he wasn't, apparently. He was still out over it."

Teheran said he had no regrets over the pitch selection.

"He was leading off - the last thing that you want to do is walk him," Teheran said. "So I was trying to make him swing the bat."

It was the next-to-last good swing the Mets got all day. Of the final 21 batters Teheran faced, only losing pitcher Jacob deGrom - who flew out to the warning track two batters after Conforto - got anything remotely resembling a chance for a hit.

Teheran's chances of a complete game seemed slim after the sixth inning, when his pitch count was at 86 thanks to 23 foul balls and four three-ball counts. But he threw just 15 pitches in the seventh and eighth, which made it easy for interim manager Brian Snitker to send him out for the ninth.

"I just looked up there, he had a one-hit shutout going, I kind of wanted him to try and finish it off," Snitker said. "I've never pitched, but if I was a pitcher and had a one-hit shutout, I think I'd want to (finish) it. That's something pretty good."

"Obviously, whenever you get a one-hit shutout, it's cooler than (a) two-(hitter)," Teheran said. "I wasn't thinking about that. I was just trying to concentrate on every hitter."

The complete game was the fifth of Teheran's career while the shutout was his third. He has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his last 12 starts, a stretch in which he is only 3-5 despite a 1.89 ERA.

"To give up one hit in the big leagues is very, very hard to do," Freeman said. "He's been pitching great all season long."

Freeman continued his torrid hitting by going 4-for-5 with a RBI double. He is batting .548 (17-for-31) in his last seven games.

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Braves starting pitcher Julio Teheran (49) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Atlanta Braves won 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

"I don't want to know the stats," Freeman said with a grin. "I just know I've been swinging the bat really good."

Nick Markakis had a home run and an RBI single and Ender Inciarte had an RBI single for the Braves (23-46), who extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. Erick Aybar scored twice, including once on a balk, while Jace Peterson scored the final run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning.

The Mets (36-32) have lost six of eight, all against sub-.500 teams. They have been one-hit twice by the Braves this season. Matt Wisler and Arodys Vizcaino combined on a one-hit shutout on May 3.

"That guy pitched pretty good today," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "When you face 28 hitters, that's pretty good. I don't give a (darn) who you're facing. That's pretty good. So give him a little credit."

DeGrom (3-4), pitching on his 28th birthday, took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings. He hasn't won in his last nine starts.

"I'm more frustrated with myself about today," deGrom said. "I didn't put us in a very good position to win."

NOTES: Braves LF Mallex Smith suffered a broken left thumb when he was hit by a pitch by Mets LHP Antonio Bastardo in the seventh inning. The Braves will know a timetable for his return after he meets with doctors Monday. ... Teheran is the first Braves pitcher to throw a one-hit shutout on the road since LHP Kent Mercker did it against the Los Angeles Dodgers Apr. 8 1994. ... Mets RHP Jim Henderson, who threw just 10 pitches Saturday night before leaving with a sore shoulder, was expected to undergo an MRI Sunday. ... DeGrom lost to the Braves on his birthday for the second straight season.

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