Ozzie Albies’ big day fuels Braves’ rally in win over Mets

Ozzie Albies capped a big game with the tie-breaking RBI double in the eighth inning Thursday night for the visiting Atlanta Braves, who edged the New York Mets 4-3 in the rubber game of a three-game series.
Albies was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs for the Braves, who have won six of eight. Michael Harris II was also 3-for-4 with a run-scoring double in the eighth. He raced home on Albies’ double against Ryan Helsley (3-3).
Francisco Lindor was 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored for the Mets, who fell to 2-10 this month. Brandon Nimmo lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Pete Alonso followed with a go-ahead RBI single.
The eighth-inning rally made a winner of Bryce Elder (5-9), who gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out six over seven innings.
Dylan Lee worked around a Lindor single in the eighth, and Raisel Iglesias needed just seven pitches in the ninth, all strikes, to notch his 17th save.
Mets starter Kodai Senga allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings.
Solo homers by Lindor and Albies provided the only scoring until the teams traded rallies in the sixth. Matt Olson led off the top half by drawing a walk against Senga before he was forced out on Drake Baldwin’s grounder. Senga struck out Marcell Ozuna but exited after Harris’ single. Albies greeted Tyler Rogers with a run-scoring single.
The Mets utilized small ball to take the lead against Elder. With one out, Lindor singled, stole second and took third on Baldwin’s errant throw. After Juan Soto walked on four pitches, Lindor raced home on Nimmo’s liner to left. Soto then stole second and scored on Alonso’s single to left.
Marcell Ozuna drew a one-out walk in the eighth against Helsley and pinch-runner Eli White scored on Harris’ double. Albies doubled two pitches later.