National League Game Summary - New York at Atlanta
(Tuesday, April 17th)
Final Score: Atlanta 9, New York 3
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Rookie Tyler Pastornicky highlighted a five-run
second inning with a two-run double and the Atlanta Braves snapped their skid
against the New York Mets with a 9-3 victory Tuesday night at Turner Field.
Atlanta starter Randall Delgado (2-0) pitched in and out of trouble while
allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
The Braves had dropped five in a row to their NL East rivals, including the
opener of this three-game set on Monday -- a 6-1 setback that halted Atlanta's
winning streak at five games.
The Mets posted a season-opening three-game sweep at Citi Field and also took
the final meeting of 2011.
"That New York trip wasn't the best trip for us, to get off to that start, but
we've picked up our play and everything's been good," Pastornicky said.
The Braves roughed up Johan Santana (0-2) in the shortest outing of his
career.
Santana was tagged for six runs -- four earned -- on four hits and one walk.
The left-hander threw 55 pitches (35 for strikes) and recorded only four outs.
Atlanta scored a run during its first trip to the plate.
Michael Bourn led off the first with a fly ball that bounced off Jason Bay's
glove in left field for a two-base error. Bay made a home run-saving grab a
day earlier, but his miscue resulted in a 1-0 lead for Atlanta as Bourn scored
on Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly.
It only got worse for Santana as the first five Atlanta batters reached base
in the second.
Dan Uggla walked, Matt Diaz singled, improving to 18-for-35 against Santana
and Freddie Freeman plated a run with an opposite-field double to left.
Pastornicky followed with a double to right and scored on a throwing error by
first baseman Ike Davis.
Delgado dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Pastornicky came home when Davis'
throw to third was offline. Two batters later, Jason Heyward plated Delgado
with a base hit, ending Santana's night.
"[New York manager Terry Collins] told me there were too many pitches in that
inning and he didn't want to take any risks," said Santana, who missed all of
last season due to surgery on his throwing shoulder.
The Mets got two runs in the fourth after Uggla lost a high popup in the
lights. Bay was credited with a double and scored on Josh Thole's single, the
first of three consecutive two-out hits given up by Delgado. Pinch-hitter Mike
Baxter drove in Thole.
Atlanta upped its lead to 8-2 in the fifth on a Diaz sac fly and an RBI single
by Freeman. Daniel Murphy singled home rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the sixth
for New York.
Juan Francisco homered off Mets reliever Manny Acosta in the eighth.
Game Notes
Kris Medlen tossed 2 2/3 innings in relief of Delgado, allowing only one
hit...New York third baseman David Wright went 2-for-5. He has reached base
safely at least twice in all eight of his games this season, extending his own
team record...The Mets were 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left
10 men on base.
04/17 23:06:01 ET

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