Mets blow two-run lead as offense sputters in loss vs. Braves

ATLANTA — Two straight days of offensive fireworks appeared as if it might extend to three for the Mets after Mark Vientos’ second-inning homer Sunday.

The Mets had a two-run lead, and though it was too early to smell a sweep, life was good for manager Carlos Mendoza’s crew. Opportunities escaped over the next seven innings, along with the Mets’ sweep.

Frustrated with runners in scoring position, the Mets lost 4-3 to the Braves at Truist Park to complete a .500 road trip against two sputtering NL East foes (the Nationals were the other). Now it’s on to the class of the division, with the Phillies headed to Citi Field for three games. The Phillies lead the Mets by seven games for first place.

Gregory Soto, who had been unscored upon in his first 10 relief appearances with the Mets, surrendered a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth to Jurickson Profar. Soto plunked pinch-hitter Vidal Brujan to load the bases with two outs in the eighth before Profar delivered the go-ahead two-run single.

The Mets had combined to score 21 runs in winning the first two games of this series, but the bats cooled a night after they hit six home runs.

Juan Soto’s RBI single in the ninth — the Mets’ third hit of the inning — reclaimed a run but Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil were retired in succession with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. The Mets finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

David Peterson rolled into the sixth before struggling to find the strike zone and failing to complete the inning, after the Braves tied it 2-2. Overall, the left-hander pitched 5 ²/₃ innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. Peterson’s start was the first in three games in which a Mets pitcher did not finish at least six innings — Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes went back-to-back with deep outings to open the series.

Peterson escaped first-inning trouble by striking out Marcell Ozuna and retiring Ozzie Albies after he had walked Profar leading off and surrendered a single to Ronald Acuña Jr.

Vientos homered in a third straight at-bat over two games to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the second inning. It was the fifth homer in seven games for Vientos and his 12th this season. Vientos jumped on a 3-1 slider from Bryce Elder and cleared the left-field fence after McNeil had walked to open the inning.

Peterson loaded the bases in the sixth by walking Nacho Alvarez Jr. with two outs before Sean Murphy’s two-run single tied it 2-2. Brooks Raley entered to retire Nick Allen for the final out. The Braves’ rally started with a walk to Ozuna and continued with Michael Harris II’s two-out single.

Cedric Mullins, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto all drew two-out walks in the seventh, but lefty reliever Dylan Lee retired Alonso to end the threat.

McNeil got plunked leading off the eighth, and the go-ahead run got to second base on a wild pitch with two outs before Ronny Mauricio was retired.