3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Salvage Series Split Against Braves

There was plenty of turbulence for the New York Mets to navigate against the Braves this week.

New York won the final two games of the series to earn a split after dropping the first two. Those two wins were crucial given the recent rut the Mets have found themselves in.

However, another serious pitching injury overshadowed what was a positive finish to an up-and-down series. It remains to be seen how this team will respond to yet more adversity.

Before we get too carried away, let’s recap everything from the Atlanta series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

RED-HOT HISTORY MAKER

Juan Soto is on fire right now. The superstar hitter is looking like the generational talent the Mets paid the big bucks for. He got on base in all four games against the Braves, including hitting a total of three home runs. Two of Soto’s homers came in the third game of the series on Wednesday. The first sparked a five-run inning that all but confirmed the win. The second was historic, with Soto passing Jimmie Fox for the most multi-homer games (27) in Major League history before turning 27.

Furthermore, Soto joined Darryl Strawberry as just the second Met to have 10-plus home runs and 20-plus walks in a calendar month. Soto also became the first Met to record 10 homers, 20 runs scored and 20 walks in a single calendar month. The four-time All-Star is hitting .325/.486/.738/.1.223 with 10 homers, 24 runs scored, 18 RBIs and 24 walks in the month of June. This is the version of Soto we’ve all been waiting for.

DOING IT ALL

Jeff McNeil was a busy man for the Mets in this series. When he wasn’t coming up with clutch hits, he was making big plays in the field. Playing center field on Wednesday, McNeil made a great leap at the wall to rob a home run. The impressive play kept the game tied and prevented the Braves from taking an early lead. It also showcased the veteran’s ability to play multiple positions in order to help the team. McNeil went 2-for-4 in that game too. He then went 1-for-3 in the finale, driving in a pair of key runs in the seventh to give the Mets some insurance. Overall, McNeil continued to emerge as a valuable piece of this team in this series.

ENCOURAGING START

Mets fans could have been forgiven for expecting the worst from Frankie Montas‘ Mets debut. After all, the righty was shelled time and time again throughout his rehab assignment. Therefore, expectations were low ahead of his first start for the team on Tuesday. However, Montas instead delivered a surprising outing. He allowed just three hits and three walks with five strikeouts across five scoreless innings. It is just one start, but one that should give the Mets plenty of hope for what could be to come. Especially when you consider how banged up that rotation is right now.

3 DOWN

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Another week, another blow on the pitching front for the Mets to try and absorb. This week it was Griffin Canning, who suffered a likely Achilles injury in the finale. The outlook doesn’t look good, with Canning potentially out for the rest of the year. That will just put even more strain on an already depleted rotation. Canning was pitching to a 3.77 ERA with a 7-3 record. His loss will be a tough one for New York to navigate, especially over the coming weeks with three other members of the rotation currently on the shelf.

NEED TO BE BETTER

Paul Blackburn continues to struggles. The veteran was not good in his latest start in the series opener. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks, while lasting just 4.2 innings. As a result, Blackburn has now allowed a total of 13 earned runs over his last five outings. Furthermore, Blackburn’s inability to go deep in games only serves to put more strain on an already taxed bullpen. With Canning now seemingly lost for the year, it is more important than ever that Blackburn finds a way to be a solid and reliable arm in that rotation.

HIT AND MISS

As good as the offense was in the final two games of the series, it just wasn’t good enough in the opening two games. The lineup recorded just two runs and six hits in the opener, while going 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. Mets batters were, once again, unable to come up with the big hit in the biggest moment of the game. Then, in the second game, the lineup struckout a total of 14 times. Again, the offense was a lot better for the final two games of the series. But, its inability to turn up for the first two cost the Mets a chance at winning the series. The entire lineup – 1-through-9 – has to be more consistent on a night-to-night basis.

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