The Mets got another outstanding effort — and a homer — from Jacob deGrom and even though their offense didn’t produce much, they seemed primed for another dramatic victory.
But after leaving a runner on third in both the 10th and 11th innings, the Mets’ luck finally ran out in a 2-1, 14-inning loss to the Braves at Citi Field.
The defeat snapped the Mets’ five-game winning streak, as Jeurys Familia faltered in the final inning and gave up an RBI single to Billy Hamilton to give Atlanta the lead.
The Mets couldn’t rally in the bottom of the inning against Mark Melancon and squandered a chance to get within a game of the Cubs for the second NL wild card.
Their chances of coming back were hindered when manager Mickey Callaway had to resort to pinch hitting with Steven Matz in the final inning.
The Braves ended up with their sixth straight win to open the series in Queens.
After six Mets relievers combined to throw six shutout innings, Familia spoiled it. He walked Tyler Flowers to start the 14th before ex-Met Adeiny Hechavarria hit a ground-rule double to center that stuck in the fence.
After a visit from pitching coach Phil Regan, Familia struck out Rafael Ortega, but Hamilton’s grounder got through a drawn-in infield to drive in what held up as the winning run.
The loss wasted another tremendous game from deGrom and just as good a showing from the bullpen.
Seth Lugo started it with two scoreless innings, as Callaway used Lugo aggressively and then went to Edwin Diaz, who got out of trouble in the 10th, fanning Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies to stunningly escape a threat.
The Mets had a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning, when they loaded the bases with two outs against former Met Anthony Swarzak, but Amed Rosario struck out to extend the game.
Luis Avilan and Brad Brach combined to pitch a scoreless 11th before the Mets got two more runners on and pinch-hitter Aaron Altherr grounded out.
With the Mets wearing all-white Players’ Weekend uniforms that seemed designed to disguise players’ identities, deGrom’s brilliant second half continued. He hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs since June 28, as his ERA has dropped from 3.32 to 2.56, the lowest it has been since his third start of the season.
Surprisingly, the Braves’ Mike Foltynewicz matched deGrom almost pitch-for-pitch.
The right-hander entered with a 6.09 ERA and was making his fourth start since returning from the minors, but Foltynewicz gave up just two hits over seven innings.
DeGrom got out of a jam in the second, when he stranded a pair of runners on an Alex Jackson lineout to center.
The Mets wasted a two-out double by Luis Guillorme in the bottom of the inning. Then, with Acuna on second and two out, deGrom got Freddie Freeman swinging to keep the game scoreless in the third.
DeGrom struck out the side in order in a 12-pitch fourth. He reached the 200-strikeout mark for a fourth straight year in the process.
He backed that up by doing the same thing in the fifth, as the right-hander ended up fanning eight straight before Albies broke the streak with a single that dropped in front of Juan Lagares in center with one out in the sixth.
Albies swiped second before Freeman followed with a single up the middle to bring home the game’s first run.
DeGrom struck out the next two batters to end the inning and then led off the bottom of the frame by drilling an opposite field homer to left-center on the first pitch. It was his second homer of the year.
It was just the Mets’ second hit of the night and tied the score at 1-1.
DeGrom left after seven innings — and 13 strikeouts.
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