It was something that didn’t seem to want to end.
After the Braves took the early lead with Adam Duvall’s two-run home run in the second inning, the Mets put on a show in the third, scoring seven runs on three home runs.
The explosive inning propelled the Mets to a crucial 8-4 victory over their NL East rival, vaulting them into second place in the division and the top wild-card spot.
“An electric crowd. Huge. [third] “There were a lot of really good hitters,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Tyrone Taylor reached base on an error by Braves third baseman Austin Riley to lead off the inning.
Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo followed with walks to set up JD Martinez for a grand slam.
On a 3-1 fastball, Martinez’s opposite-field hit traveled 366 feet and sent the Citi Field crowd into a frenzy.
“I thought the guys did a great job of not chasing him. [Braves starter Charlie Morton] “We went around the zone and we got him in the zone,” Martinez said after the win. “Obviously, we walked some guys and we got some guys on base. It was kind of a team effort. Everybody was just making sure we didn’t chase them.”
After Martinez, who had 6 hits in 37 at-bats in the 10 games before Friday, Jeff McNeil doubled and was quickly brought home by Mark Vientos’ two-run homer to left field.
Two batters later, Francisco Alvarez hit a solo shot to give the Mets a comfortable 7-2 lead.
“Just being a part of this game was awesome,” Vientos said. “Being a part of this clubhouse is special. It’s a blessing. Every day I come here and it’s unbelievable. I’m really excited.”
That inning will be what the Mets will have to look to keep their spirits up, as the win turned into a bittersweet victory after Kodai Senga went down with a left calf strain in the top of the sixth inning in his season debut.
Mendoza, however, was not worried about how his team would handle the news.
“They’re going to do well,” he said. “We keep playing hard. We keep putting the pressure on. We’ve been through a lot. Guys are going to rise to the occasion and come tomorrow ready to play.”
