There is a good chance that Ervin Santana wouldn't even be pitching for a Major League Baseball team this early in the year if it wasn't for the injuries the Braves' have suffered in their starting rotation. Both Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy were lost to season-ending elbow surgery and Atlanta needed a pitcher to step in. They signed Santana - despite the cost and draft picks required in return - and he came through in his Braves' debut.
Santana from the first pitch started throwing strikes and it wasn't until his 21st pitch of the game that he had thrown a ball. It also didn't take long for him to get run support as Jason Heyward hit a solo home run off Zack Wheeler to lead off the bottom of the 1st inning.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the 5th inning when Heyward and Freddie Freeman both had RBI base hits to push Atlanta's lead up to 4-0.
Wheeler was pulled after giving up four runs on eight hits through five innings. Ervin Santana - though - was still at the top of his game. Santana blanked New York through eight innings, striking out six, and only allowing three Mets' to reach base.
The Braves' manager - Fredi Gonzalez - opted to go to Jordan Waldon out of the bullpen for the 9th inning despite Santana's reasonably low pitch count. Waldon walked Eric Young to lead off the 9th and gave up a one out single to David Wright that brought Freddy Gonzalez back out of the dugout to bring in the Braves' perennial closer - Craig Kimbrel.
The Mets weren't intimidated. Kimbrel walked Curtis Granderson, and then Juan Lagares grounded a RBI single up the middle that cut the lead to 4-2. Travis d'Arnaud then added to the rally, lining a base hit into right field that scored Granderson and moved the tying run to third base. Kimbrel was able to settle and get Ruben Tejada to strike out that secured that Atlanta Braves' win 4-3.
Jenrry Mejia will get the ball tomorrow for New York as he faces David Hale and the Atlanta Braves in the finale game of the series.