Mets Beat Braves 1-0 After Relivers Combine For Shutout and Jeff McNeil Hits RBI double

Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (Photo Credits to MetsMerizedOnline.com) The New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 1-0 tonight at Citi Field to split their doubleheader and improved their record to 53-45. The offense didn't do much for the first three innings and had a chance to score in the bottom of the fourth after 3B J.D. Davis doubled to lead off the inning and then RF Michael Conforto followed with a single to advance Davis to third with no out. SS Jonathan Villar then came up and struck out and catcher James McCann grounded into a double play to end the inning. In the following inning, CF Brandon Nimmo hit an infield single with one out and then two batters later, 2B Jeff McNeil came through and broke the team's 13 inning scoreless streak with a RBI double off the center field fence. LHP Aaron Loup got the start as an "opener" in the top of the first and had a 1-2-3 inning on 11 pitches with a strikeout. RHP Jeurys Familia came in next in the top of the second and got into trouble after 1B Pete Alonso lost 3B Austin Riley's pop-up in the lights and then gave up a single to SS Dansby Swanson, but settled down after that. Familia came back to strike out the next batters he faced. LHP Anthony Banda followed with a 1-2-3 top of the third and threw another scorless inning in the top of the fourth working around a single by Riley. RHP Trevor May came in next in the top of the fifth and threw a scoreless inning. May picked up his third win. RHP Seth Lugo came on in the top of the sixth and had a rough beginning allowing a lead-off single to RF Joc Pederson and then walked 2B Ozzie Albies. Lugo was then able to retire star 1B Freddie Freeman on a deep-fly to LF Kevin Pillar for the first out and then was able to get Riley to ground into a 4-6-3 double play turned by Luis Guilliorme and Jonathan Villar to end the inning. RHP Edwin Diaz appeared next in the top of the seventh and closed it out in dominating fashion striking out the side on 11 pitches with all of the strikeouts coming on sliders. Diaz picked up his 22th save of the year. The Mets next game is tomorrow night at home against the Braves at 7:10 p.m.