The New York Mets overcame a late collapse and held off a stunning comeback attempt by the Atlanta Braves to escape with a thrilling 10-9 victory on Sunday at Truist Park, ending their three-game losing streak in dramatic fashion.
The Mets appeared to have the game comfortably in hand after building a commanding seven-run lead, but Atlanta nearly erased the deficit with an explosive ninth inning before New York closer Devin Williams finally recorded the final outs to preserve the win.
Rookie right-hander Nolan McLean earned the victory to improve to 6-5 on the season. Although he endured a rough opening inning, McLean quickly regained his composure and delivered six effective innings. He surrendered three runs—only two of them earned—on five hits while walking one batter and striking out five. After the Braves’ early rally, McLean shut Atlanta down for the remainder of his outing, giving the Mets exactly the stability they needed.
New York’s bullpen initially looked equally dominant. Veteran reliever Luke Weaver tossed a perfect eighth inning, extending his remarkable scoreless streak to 25 consecutive innings and putting the Mets in excellent position to secure an easy victory.
However, the ninth inning turned into complete chaos.
Making his first appearance since June 27, Huascar Brazobán struggled to find his rhythm. He allowed five runs while watching Atlanta rapidly chip away at what had been a seemingly insurmountable lead. The biggest blow came when rookie catcher Drake Baldwin launched a dramatic grand slam, suddenly bringing the Braves within striking distance and electrifying the home crowd.
With the momentum completely shifting, the Mets were forced to call on Williams earlier than expected. Although the closer surrendered another run and allowed runners to reach second and third base, he regrouped in time to strike out Dominic Smith for the final out, collecting his 13th save and ending one of the wildest finishes of the season.
Atlanta starter Martín Pérez saw his afternoon end prematurely after suffering an injury in the fifth inning. Pérez was struck on his pitching hand by a hard comebacker off the bat of Juan Soto, forcing him to leave the contest. Before exiting, he allowed five runs, four of them earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out one. The loss dropped his record to 6-6 and marked the first defeat of his career against the Mets.
The game featured offense almost from the opening pitch.
New York struck first in the top of the first inning when Bo Bichette delivered an RBI single. Atlanta answered immediately with a three-run bottom half. Michael Harris II drove in two runs with a single before later scoring himself after a pickoff attempt by McLean struck him in the helmet and deflected into right field. Mauricio Dubón then added an RBI single to complete the inning.
The Mets wasted little time responding.
New York erupted for four runs in the second inning, highlighted by A.J. Ewing‘s fifth home run of the season. Francisco Lindor followed with an RBI single before Soto lined a two-run hit to quickly swing the momentum back in the visitors’ favor.
The Mets continued adding insurance runs throughout the afternoon before delivering what looked like the knockout punch in the ninth inning against Carlos Carrasco. Tyrone Taylor blasted a solo home run, Bichette ripped a two-run double, and Jared Young added a two-run single as New York stretched its advantage to seven runs.
Despite nearly watching that lead disappear moments later, the Mets ultimately escaped with an unforgettable victory. The win halted their three-game skid while showcasing both their explosive offense and their resilience in surviving one of the Braves’ most dramatic comeback attempts of the season.
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