Braves Bash Five Homers, Mets Freefall Continues
Atlanta's five-homer night and Sale's 10th All-Star nod contrast a Mets skid nearing historic lows
The Braves blasted five home runs in a 14-3 rout of the Mets on July 4, with Michael Harris II, Eli White, Mauricio Dubón, Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Riley all going deep. Chris Sale was named an All-Star for the 10th time just hours before that start. The Mets answered back a night later, stealing Game 3 10-9 on Juan Soto's go-ahead single, but the loss dropped New York to 36-53 and deepened a collapse with few precedents.
The Braves' power surge came at the right time. Atlanta had gone just 3-7 over its last ten games and 5-14 since June 9, yet still leads the NL East by three games over Philadelphia. Five homers in one night snapped a drought dating back to May 30, when Atlanta last hit as many as three.
Sale's milestone came with a wrinkle. He struck out just three, a season low, but the honor cements him as one of the game's most durable arms even in a lean outing. Atlanta's lineup did the heavy lifting behind him.
The Mets, meanwhile, are staring at history. New york has lost 12 of 14 and sits at 36-53, and no team has ever reached the postseason from 17 games under .500 per the Elias Sports Bureau. Game 3's wild 10-9 escape, powered by Soto's go-ahead single and a shaky Devin Williams ninth, buys Andy Green's club one more night before Game 4 decides the series.