Eric Young Sparks Mets Over Braves

Eric Young hasn’t exactly been a spark plug in the leadoff spot thus far this season. But he turned all of that around on Thursday with a huge game as the Mets took the rubber game of their series with the Braves.

Young got things going in the first, leading off the game with a single. He stole second and went to third when the throw from catcher Ryan Doumit sailed into center field. Young scored on a Daniel Murphy ground out to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The Braves tied it up when Justin Upton led off the bottom of the second with a home run.

The Mets took the lead in the top of the third. Eric Young led off with another single and promptly stole second again. Murphy walked and David Wright followed with a single to score Young and move Murphy to third. After Curtis Granderson struck out, Ike Davis grounded out to bring in Murphy to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Jenrry Mejia coughed up the lead in the bottom of the inning. B.J. Upton tripled on a ball Granderson lost in the setting sun and came home on a Freddie Freeman single. Justin Upton then connected with his second home run on the night, a long blast to left and the Braves had a 4-3 lead.

But in the fifth it was Eric Young again, leading off with a triple off the glove of B.J. Upton. Murphy drove him in with a single to tie the game at four. The Mets were able to load the bases with one out, which ended Braves starter David Hale’s night. Anthony Varvaro came in and was able to get out of the inning with the score tied.

Mejia lasted just five innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He also walked four batters but he struck out seven Braves.

The Mets regained the lead in the seventh. Murphy led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Curtis Granderson walked and on the play Murphy stole third. He scored on a two-out single by Juan Lagares to make it a 5-4 game.

They scored a big insurance run in the eighth. Young reached on a fielder’s choice and once again stole second. Murphy doubled to right-center to plate Young to make it 6-4.

The Mets bullpen was excellent. Carlos Torres threw two scoreless innings, striking out three batters. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a perfect eighth. And Jose Valderde nailed it down in the ninth for his second save.

Eric Young ended up going 3-5 with three stolen bases and four runs scored. Following him in the batting order, Murphy was 3-4 with three RBIs.

The Mets win 6-4, taking a rare series from the Braves at Turner Field, also known as the House of Horrors for the Mets.