Major League Baseball
NY Mets 3, Atlanta 2
When: 1:35 PM ET, Sunday, April 24, 2016
Where: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature: 75°
Umpires: Home - Lance Barksdale, 1B - Alan Porter, 2B - Greg Gibson, 3B - John Tumpane
Attendance: 32085

ATLANTA -- The New York Mets did not need to continue their home run blitz to make Jacob deGrom a winner in his return to the mound Sunday.

DeGrom worked into the sixth inning and the Mets won for the seventh straight time at Turner Field, completing the weekend sweep and 7-2 road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

"I was a little nervous, but glad to be back out there," said deGrom, who last pitched April 8.

DeGrom (2-0) gave up eight hits over 5 2/3 innings, but all were singles. The right-hander walked none and struck out three, throwing 59 of his 82 pitches for strikes.

"I was very, very pleased," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It shows how hard he worked when he wasn't at the hospital."

DeGrom missed one start because of a lat strain and another after his newborn son, Jaxson, had health issues.

"Everything feels fine physically," the 14-game winner in 2015 said. "Getting back in a game was a little strange. You try to simulate that in Florida, but a game is a little different."

Mets closer Jeurys Familia gave up a ninth-inning run on a two-out RBI single by Jeff Francoeur, but stranded two runners on base to record his fifth save in as many opportunities.

Michael Conforto had an RBI double and a sacrifice fly for the Mets, who hit two homers in each of the first two games of the series and 23 for the trip.

"With situational hitting, it was good. But there is no doubt about it," Collins said. "I'd rather hit four homers a game."

Braves starter Aaron Blair, part of the trade that sent All-Star pitcher Shelby Miller to Arizona over the winter, took the loss in his major league debut. He allowed six hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

The 23-year-old right-hander, who benefited from three double plays, walked two and struck out one. He struggled with his command, throwing just 35 strikes in 80 pitches.

"I thought he was good. He came as advertised," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That was a hot lineup he was facing."

The loss was the fifth straight for the Braves, who fell to 1-10 at home and have gone 13 games without a home run.

Blair allowed no hits over seven innings in his last start for Triple-A Gwinnett, but Curtis Granderson singled on his third pitch Sunday, and the Mets were up 1-0 after his eighth. Asdrubal Cabrera also singled and Conforto delivered a sacrifice fly.

"I had to settle in real quick," Blair said.

A double play on a caught stealing got Blair out of the inning, and the Mets grounded into twin killings in the second and fourth before the Braves (4-14) broke through against deGrom to tie the game in the fifth.

Nick Markakis delivered a two-out RBI single to score Jace Peterson, who had singled and moved up on Blair's sacrifice bunt. The Braves, though, left two runners on base and the Mets (10-7) went back ahead in the sixth.

Conforto followed a walk and Cabrera's second single with a double that knocked Blair out of the game.

"I kind of lost my fastball command," Blair said. "I left a fastball up to Conforto and he hit it."

Conforto is batting .296 with 10 RBIs.

"He drove in big runs and that's why we have him hitting third," Collins said.

Lucas Duda increased the Mets' lead to two runs with a sacrifice fly against reliever Alexi Ogando and that proved decisive.

Markakis and Daniel Castro each had three hits for the Braves, but Castro grounded out to end the game as Familia survived the ninth-inning jam.

NOTES: Mets CF Yoenis Cespedes was out of the lineup for the second straight game after aggravating a bruise on his right leg Friday. He will be examined by team doctors when the Mets return to New York on Monday. ... RHP Aaron Blair, promoted from Triple-A by the Braves to make his major league debut, was 3-0 with 1.42 ERA for Gwinnett. ... LHP Matt Marksberry was optioned to Gwinnett to make room for Blair. ... The Mets begin a nine-game homestand with a series against the Cincinnati Reds starting Monday. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-0, 0.90 ERA) will make his fourth start of the season in the opener. ... RHP Julio Teheran (0-2, 5.64 ERA) will start for the Braves on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. ... The Braves and Red Sox will play two games in Atlanta and then two in Boston.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
NY Mets   Atlanta
Jacob deGrom Player Aaron Blair
Win W/L Loss
5.2 IP 5.1
3 Strikeouts 1
8 Hits 6
1.59 ERA 5.06
Hitting
NY Mets   Atlanta
Asdrubal Cabrera Player Daniel Castro
2 Hits 3
0 RBI 0
0 HR 0
2 TB 3
.500 Avg .600
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
NY Mets 7 0 8 .250 12 7 3 4 0 0
Atlanta 12 0 12 .324 14 5 2 0 0 0