NEW YORK -AP- Julio Teheran stifled the Mets into the seventh inning, Robert Gsellman staggered through a five-run first and the Atlanta Braves handed New York its fifth straight loss, 8-2 on Wednesday night.
Atlanta ended a six-game skid behind 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball from Teheran (2-1). The right-hander allowed four hits, four walks and a pair of sacrifice flies while striking out four. He is 4-0 with a 0.91 ERA in his last seven starts against New York dating to June 21, 2015.
 
Teheran solid, Gsellman stumbles and Mets lose 5th straight
 
 
 
The ailing Mets got Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'Arnaud back in the lineup but still dropped their ninth in 10 games.
Gsellman (0-2) allowed his first seven batters to reach in an exasperating first inning, including one on his own throwing error. The 23-year-old rookie allowed six runs, 10 hits and three walks over four-plus innings. His ERA climbed to 6.23 one start after he pitched effectively into the eighth inning against Philadelphia.
Tyler Flowers had a three-run double in the first and matched his career high with four RBI.
Gsellman was announced as New York's starter a few hours before the first pitch after having his scheduled start Tuesday rained out. The Mets initially indicated they would skip Gsellman's turn and pitch Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday, but manager Terry Collins opted to push his rotation back. When asked why, Collins said "because I wanted to" and insisted he never said Gsellman would be skipped, though even the Mets' official Twitter account was promoting Syndergaard as Wednesday's starter.
Gsellman began the game with four hits allowed, two walks and his own throwing error. Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis had RBI singles, the latter when Freddie Freeman scored on an overturned call at the plate following Cespedes' throw from left field.
Fans booed when Gsellman's throw pulled first baseman Jay Bruce off the bag on Adonis Garcia's swinging bunt, and they jeered again when Flowers doubled down the right field line to make it 5-0.
Flowers chased Gsellman with an RBI single in the fifth.
New York's Neil Walker hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Markakis had three hits, and all eight starting position players for Atlanta had at least one.
INSULT, BUT LESS INJURY
Cespedes had been out since getting a cramp in his left hamstring last Thursday, and d'Arnaud caught for the first time since bruising his right wrist a week ago. The catcher was replaced by Rene Rivera in the fifth inning as part of a double switch. Mets first baseman Lucas Duda (hyperextended left elbow) and infielder Wilmer Flores (right knee infection) are on the 10-day disabled list.
FREE CHANCES
Freeman batted with teammates at the corners in the first and a man on second the next inning, giving him 11 plate appearances this season with runners in scoring position. He walked the first time and grounded out to second the next. Freeman entered with a .381 batting average and seven homers but only nine RBI. He added a pair of bases-empty singles later in the game.
 

Comments are closed.