Braves hold off Mets as López pitches six solid innings and Acuña scores three runs.
Reynaldo López pitched six perfect innings in his first home start for Atlanta, Ronald Acuña Jr. scored three runs and stole three bases, and the Braves defeated the New York Mets 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Pete Alonso’s three-run home run off Tyler Matzek in the eighth inning gave the Braves a 6-0 lead. Despite giving up two runs in the ninth, including a run-scoring double from Omar Narváez, Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias managed to get his second save. To conclude the game with a runner on, Iglesias struck out Alonso.
López (1-0) inked a $30 million, three-year deal on November 30 and became Atlanta’s fifth starter. After spending the previous two seasons mostly as a reliever, the right-hander has made two starts and has a 0.75 ERA. He possessed six strikeouts in his Mets game despite giving up three hits and three walks.
“I think I’m a very different pitcher than I was three years ago,” López said through a translator. “I didn’t have the type of command I have on my breaking pitches.”
Acuña had two hits, including the first of the Braves’ six straight singles to open a three-run third inning. He stole second and third following a fourth-inning walk.
Acuña led the majors with 73 steals and hit 41 homers in his 2023 NL MVP season. He has four steals but has not homered through 10 games.
“I haven’t gotten off to the start I wanted this season, but it’s a long season,” Acuña said.
Mets right-hander Adrian Houser (0-1), who hit only one batter with a pitch in 111 1/3 innings last season with Milwaukee, plunked two Atlanta hitters in the first two innings.
Houser’s first pitch hit Acuña, who stole second, advanced to third on Narváez’s throwing error and scored on Ozzie Albies’ double. Houser allowed five runs in five innings.
New York right-hander Dedniel Núñez, recalled from Triple-A Syracuse before the game, gave up one run over two innings in his major league debut.
“I felt comfortable,” Núñez said through a translator. “I’m happy with the job I did. I don’t feel bad about it. It gave me confidence.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: DH J.D. Martinez was given an injection on Tuesday to address lower back tightness that has delayed his season debut. Martinez has been working at the team’s facility in Florida after signing a $12 million, one-year contract in late March. … RHP Julio Teheran was designated for assignment, one day after he gave up four runs in 2 2/3 innings during Monday night’s 8-7 win. New York manager Carlos Mendoza said the move with Teheran “was not an easy decision.”
Braves: After RHP Spencer Strider, 25, underwent a follow-up checkup with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas on Monday, manager Brian Snitker stated that the medical team is “preparing a timeline for what the next step is”. After an MRI on Saturday indicated that Strider’s right elbow had a damaged ulnar collateral ligament, the player was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday. It would be Strider’s second Tommy John surgery if he needed one that would finish the season. In 2019, he underwent the operation at Clemson.
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