Braves get late-inning magic to beat Mets

The Braves get win number one of the season with a run in the ninth and three runs in the 10th inning.

So this new extra-inning rule might not be such a bad thing after all. 

After being down to their last strike in the top of the ninth, only to see Marcell Ozuna get a solo home run to tie the game, the Braves busted out for three runs in the top of the 10th inning and beat the Mets 5-3

With Adam Duvall starting the extra frame at second base, Dansby Swanson got a base hit to center field to give the Braves a 3-2 lead. Then two batters later Ender Inciarte grounded out to score Swanson, who had moved to third on a hit by Johan Camargo.

Rookie William Contreras followed Inciarte with a run-scoring double to right field for the first hit of his career.

The Mets scored a run off Luke Jackson in the 10th inning but the Braves were able to hold on for the two-run victory. Jackson pitched two innings since Mark Melancon's back locked up on him, and the Braves did not want to use Shane Greene and Chris Martin on back-to-back days if they didn't have to.

Duvall got the Braves in the board first when he hit a solo home run in the second inning to give the Braves the 1-0 lead. And then after the Mets had scored two runs in the fifth inning to take a one-run lead, Ozuna hit the opposite-field home run to tie the game at two.

Max Fried started and pitched really well for the Braves. He allowed two runs on two hits in five innings of work, with two walks and five strikeouts. Fried was rolling until the fifth inning, when the Mets get a double by Michael Conforto, a RBI-triple by Amed Rosario and then a sac fly by Jeff McNeil. 

The two Braves starters - Fried and Mike Soroka - have allowed just two runs in 11 innings so far for an ERA of 1.64.

Sunday's rubber match of the series will be the ESPN game at 7:08 pm ET. Sean Newcomb will pitch for the Braves against Rick Porcello.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.