Braves crush Mets after Reynaldo Lopez leaves early with injury

NEW YORK — Even on a day when their lineup woke up to hit four home runs, the Atlanta Braves wondered if another member of their struggling pitching staff might be sidelined.

It was the kind of year the six-time defending National League East champions are having.

Atlanta first baseman Matt Olson hit a home run in consecutive games for the first time this season, and the Braves overcame an injury to standout right-hander Reynaldo López in a 9-2 rout of the New York Mets on Sunday.

Shortstop Orlando Arcia, center fielder Ramon Laureano and third baseman Austin Riley also did well for the Braves, who managed to clinch the four-game series between division rivals at Citi Field after dropping the first two games. Atlanta, which improved to 56-48, occupies the top spot in the National League wild-card standings and moved a 1 1/2-game lead over the Mets (55-50) for second place in the National League East.

The Philadelphia Phillies, whose 65-50 record is currently the best in Major League Baseball, have an 8 1/2 game lead in the division heading into the trade deadline.

“It’s a good win for our team,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s encouraging. Maybe we got some life into this offense.”

Lopez pitched three scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 2.06, before leaving the game with right forearm tightness. The 30-year-old, who is in his first season with the Braves and was selected to the MLB All-Star Game for the first time earlier this month, is listed as day to day and was expected to return to Atlanta for an MRI.

“Right now he’s got some tightness in his forearm and we took him off as a precaution,” Snitker said. “I’m glad he said something, because these things don’t happen.”

Lopez allowed three hits in three scoreless innings, striking out two. Three of his last five pitches before leaving the field were 95 mph or higher, and his final pitch was an 85.7 mph slider that Brandon Nimmo softly sent to second base for the final out of the third.

In his first season of a three-year contract with Atlanta and his first as a full-time starter since 2020, López has 19 starts and 104 2/3 innings. He struggled in his previous two outings before facing the Mets, allowing seven runs in 12 innings in back-to-back losses.

After Lopez’s early exit, four Atlanta relievers held New York to just two runs in the bottom of the game and three hits over the final six innings.

“I like the way the guys responded today,” Snitker said. “They lost their starter and they came out and everybody responded.”

Atlanta has been plagued by injuries throughout the season. Right-hander Spencer Strider, who finished fourth in voting for the 2023 National League Cy Young Award, underwent surgery on his right elbow and was placed on the 60-day disabled list on April 7. Star right-hander Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered his second season-ending ACL injury in four seasons on May 26.

The team is also without regular center fielder Michael Harris II (left hamstring strain) and left-handed pitcher Max Fried (left forearm neuritis), and second baseman Ozzie Albies fractured his left wrist a week ago.

“It sucks,” Olson said. “I feel like every week or two we get bad news, so I really hope for the best.”

Olson threw his bat and helmet in frustration after being struck out by David Peterson (5-1) in the first inning, but he launched a three-run home run 426 feet into the right-field upper deck to give Atlanta a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. It was Olson’s fourth home run against the New York left-hander in 15 at-bats.

“I’m going to continue to work on getting consistent at-bats every time, but seeing results is a good thing,” said Olson, whose 54 homers last year were an MLB career high.

Arcia drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning. He hit a solo home run in the seventh inning, and Riley added a two-run hit against Ryne Stanek, who was making his Mets debut after being acquired Friday night in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.

Laureano’s two-run drive in the eighth inning made it 9-0.

“It was good to see the offense do some damage,” Riley said.

Dylan Lee (3-2) replaced Lopez early in the fourth and pitched two scoreless innings.

Pete Alonso hit a two-run home run and Tyrone Taylor hit two doubles for New York.

Hours before the game, the Mets finalized a trade with the Washington Nationals, who occupy fourth place in the NL East, for outfielder Jesse Winker. He received a standing ovation from the Citi Field crowd before retiring as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

New York had six hits, including four doubles, in the first five innings but failed to score, with just one hit in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position. The Mets threatened in the fifth after a leadoff double by Taylor, but he was struck out by Laureano on a single by Ben Gamel to center field.

“They’re a good pitching staff,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We created some traffic today, especially in the first three innings, but we couldn’t get that big hit.”

The Braves remain on the road for a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers, and right-handers will start on the mound for both teams Monday night.

Grant Holmes (0-0, 2.70 ERA) of the Atlanta Cardinals will make his major league debut. The 28-year-old rookie spent nearly 10 years in the minor leagues before being recalled in mid-June.

The Brewers will respond with Colin Rea (9-3, 3.60).