Braves top Mets, close gap in NL wild-card race

Michael Harris II had three hits and two RBIs to support right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach and help the host Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 5-1 on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.

The win pulled Atlanta (86-71) within a game of New York (87-70) in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League, which the Mets currently hold. The Braves are also within a game of the Arizona Diamondbacks (87-70), who were set to play later Tuesday.

The Braves have a 6-5 edge in the season series with New York and need one victory to clinch the tiebreaker. Atlanta owns the tiebreaker against Arizona.

Harris was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has gone 18-for-37 (.486) during that span.

Schwellenbach (8-7) pitched seven innings and allowed one run on three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts. In two starts against the Mets this season, the rookie has allowed one run in 14 innings.

Joe Jimenez struck out two in a scoreless eighth for the Braves, and Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect, five-pitch ninth in a non-save situation.

New York starter Luis Severino (11-7) lasted only four innings after throwing 89 pitches. He gave up four runs on seven hits to go along with one walk and five strikeouts.

The Braves sent eight batters to the plate in the third inning and scored three runs. Orlando Arcia had an infield single and took second on a throwing error on the play. He scored on a double by Harris, who came home on an opposite-field single by Ozzie Albies. With two outs, Ramon Laureano drove Albies in with a soft single to right.

Harris upped the lead to 4-0 with a solo home run, his 16th long ball of the season, in the fourth inning.

Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna greeted reliever Ryne Stanek with a solo home run to right field in the fifth. It was the 39th homer of the year for Ozuna.

New York got its run in the seventh inning on a solo homer by Mark Vientos, his 26th big fly of 2024.

--Field Level Media