Final Score: Mets 5, Braves 3 — Wheeler deals, d'Arnaud gets his first

The Mets took the first game of the homestand against the Braves tonight, by a score of 5-3. Both pitchers were effective but Zack Wheeler bested his opposite number, and the Mets offense was able to help his performance stand up.

Tonight's game started out as a pitchers' duel between Wheeler and Brandon Beachy - the Mets put a run on the board in the first inning with an error and a base hit from Ike Davis, but the pitchers put up zeroes until the bottom of the sixth. Beachy was the first to falter, though he had help. Eric Young, Jr. and Daniel Murphy led off the inning with singles, and then executed a double steal. Brian McCann tried to throw out Murphy at second; the ball ended up in center field, and Young scored. After Marlon Byrd's career high 21st home run, it was 4-0 Mets.

Wheeler nearly made it through the seventh unscathed but allowed a two-out rally that he couldn't quell. Carlos Torres replaced him and immediately surrendered a bases-clearing double. That made the score 4-3, but after Scott Rice cleaned up the mess, a late Ike Davis home run gave the Mets an insurance run and it was more than enough for LaTroy Hawkins to close it out.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by Steve Sypa; his effort in the game thread embiggens us all.