Braves 6, Mets 2
ATLANTA -- David Ross's second-inning, three-run home run led the Braves to a 6-2 win over the Mets in Chipper Jones' final regular-season home game on Sunday.
The Braves have won 23 consecutive games started by Kris Medlen, a major league record, surpassing the 22 straight victories in games started by the Yankees' Whitey Ford from 1950-53 (he missed the 1951-52 seasons due to military service) and the Giants' Carl Hubbell in 1936-37.
Medlen (10-1) was 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA in his five previous starts this month and 2-2 with a 1.66 ERA in two starts versus the Mets this season, He allowed only three hits in six innings, and only one of the hits, Ruben Tejada's third-inning single, led to a Mets run. Even that one was unearned, thanks to Freddie Freeman's two-base throwing error.
Jenrry Mejia, coming off his first major league win last Monday at Citi Field, did a pretty good job holding the Braves down except for that second inning, when he allowed a lead-off walk to Jones and a double to Freeman before Ross' homer.
That fit the pattern for what got Mejia (1-2) in trouble before: falling behind in the count and having to throw a lot of pitches early. He was expected to pitch five innings and he did.
The Mets scored a run in the ninth off Cory Gearrin as rain started falling, prompting manager Fredi Gonzalez to go to closer Craig Kimbrel to finish the job.
In his final regular-season home game, Jones was 1-for-2 with two walks and made two across-the-diamond throws from his knees for outs.
Notes: The Mets wore football jerseys to the ball park Sunday, the latest theme day instigated by manager Terry Collins, who chose Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's jersey. Spying Jay Horwitz, the Mets vice president of media relations, in a New York Giants jersey, Collins quipped, "Andy Robustelli's turning over in his grave right now." . . . Third baseman David Wright sat out Sunday's game as a scheduled day off. It had nothing to do with being plunked in the groin by a Kimbrel pitch in the ninth inning of Saturday's game. . . . R.A. Dickey will start for the Mets Tuesday against the Marlins and Jeurys Familia will start Wednesday. Collins "really, really" likes what he's seen from Familia out of the bullpen, but he has been a starter, and Collins wants to see what he's got in that role. . . . Gonzalez is staying away from using Eric O'Flaherty after O'Flaherty woke up with a stuff back Friday morning. This is a chronic issue he can manage his way through -- although it's the first time it's bothered him this season. Gonzalez doesn't want to chance having it worsen. He hopes to find a spot to give O'Flaherty a little work against the Pirates Tuesday or Wednesday, ahead of next Friday's wild card game. . . .Michael Bourn was added to the line-up, leading off, a little more than an hour before game time. He had been out since jamming his left thumb sliding into second base last Saturday in Philadelphia.
