Mets well-armed in doubleheader sweep of Atlanta
Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco reacts as he walks to the dugout after the top of the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves in the Game Two of an MLB baseball doubleheader at Citi Field on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Atlanta’s Matt Olson hit a three-run home run off David Peterson in the fifth inning of Game 1 of a Citi Field doubleheader on Tuesday to shave a four-run Mets’ lead to one.
All the Mets did from there was throw 13 2/3 shutout innings over two games to sweep the defending World Series champions.
Peterson got the last two outs of the fifth and then the bullpen threw four scoreless innings as the Mets held on for a 5-4 victory.
In the nightcap, Carlos Carrasco (eight innings) and Seth Lugo (second save) combined on a seven-hitter as the Mets won, 3-0.
With the sweep, the Mets moved to 18-8 while Atlanta fell to 11-15.
“Good day for us,” manager Buck Showalter said.
The highlights of Game 2 on the field included Carrasco’s gem, a two-run double in the first by Dominic Smith and a solo homer by Pete Alonso in the sixth.
The highlight off the field was Max Scherzer getting ejected by plate umpire Jeremy Riggs for arguing a strike call while Smith was at the plate. Ejected players usually are fined a relatively small amount by MLB.
“I already told Max that I'll pay for the fine,” Smith told Newsday. “He makes a ton more money than me, so I don't know if he'll let me, but that's the least I can do."
Scherzer’s salary for 2022 is $43.3 million. Smith’s is $3.95 million.
Showalter started Carrasco in Game 2 because he likes to have a veteran in the nightcap in case he needs to blow out his bullpen in the opener.
Carrasco (2-1, 3.30 ERA) responded by becoming the first pitcher in the bigs this season with two outings of seven innings or more.
“That was my goal, to go in there and throw as many innings as I can,” said Carrasco, who faced 11 Atlanta batters with runners in scoring position and retired them all. “Save the bullpen. I’m glad that it went the way that I won, too.”
Carrasco allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five in a 96-pitch masterpiece. In his previous outing, Carrasco was touched up by the Cardinals for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Smith gave him an early 2-0 lead with a double to left in the first. Smith hadn’t started the previous two games after he staved off a possible minor-league demotion with a four-hit, three-RBI performance on Sunday night.
In the opener, Peterson (1-0, 1.89 ERA), who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse as the “27th man,” allowed four runs (three earned) in five innings. He was aided by four combined shutout innings from Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith and Edwin Diaz, all of whom ably protected a one-run lead.
Ottavino struck out two in a perfect sixth. Smith walked one and struck out two. Diaz struck out the first two batters before giving up a single to pinch hitter Orlando Arcia. Ozzie Albies grounded the next pitch to second for the final out.
Stony Brook University product Travis Jankowski, who started both games, had two hits and scored three runs in the opener. Alonso added a pair of RBI singles.
“It was a good team win,” said Peterson, who was returned to Triple-A after the twinbill. “Offense jumped on them early. Able to get some good run support and bullpen did a great job after me. Otto was great. Drew was outstanding again and then Edwin’s automatic out there. It was a great team win.”
Smith threw 1 1/3 innings in the Mets’ combined no-hitter against the Phillies on Friday. In 10 outings, he has given up four hits, walked five and struck out 15 over 11 1/3 innings.
“It’s a good start, but it’s barely May,” Smith said. “It’s a long season. I just try to stay focused and go one at a time.”
Peterson, who was sent to the minors with a 0.64 ERA on April 22 because the Mets needed the roster spot, made just two mistakes.
With the Mets leading 5-1 in the fifth, Peterson botched a potential inning-ending comebacker when he turned to throw the ball to second before he caught it. Albies was safe on the error.
Olson hit the next pitch – a cookie in the lefthanded hitter’s down-and-in happy zone – 405 feet into the Mets’ bullpen for a three-run home run to make it 5-4. Those were Atlanta’s last runs of the day.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
