The Atlanta Braves lost a right fielder with a Most Valuable Player trophy on his mantle and a starting pitcher with a 20-win season on his resume within a three-day span this week.
But Eli White and Martin Perez proved the sturdiness of the Braves’ B squad on Saturday afternoon.
The Braves will look to earn a series win on Sunday afternoon when they visit the New York Mets in the finale of a three-game set.
Bryce Elder (5-3, 2.66 ERA) is slated to start for Atlanta against fellow right-hander Freddy Peralta (4-5, 4.04) of New York on Sunday.
White homered and had two RBIs while Perez earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 solid innings Saturday in the Braves’ 3-1 victory.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Braves, whose mini-skid was further marred by Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider heading to the injured list. Acuna, who won the National League MVP award in 2023, sustained a strained left hamstring trying to leg out an infield single against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. Strider, a 20-game winner in 2023, exited Friday’s start with right elbow soreness.
But White, manning right field Saturday, finished with three hits — one fewer than he had in his previous 20 at-bats dating back to May 9.
The 35-year old Perez lowered his ERA to 2.90 after allowing two runs or fewer for the seventh time in 10 starts. He has become a rotation mainstay with Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep sidelined since spring training.
“The guys who don’t play every day, they’ve been big for us,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “When they get a chance to play, they help us win games.”
Injuries have decimated the Mets, who are in last place in the NL East at 31-39. Opening Day starters Francisco Lindor (left calf), Jorge Polanco (left Achilles) and Luis Robert Jr. (back) are on the injured list while Juan Soto (right calf) and Francisco Alvarez (right knee) also spent time on the shelf.
Soto and Bo Bichette had two hits apiece Saturday, but the rest of the Mets lineup went 2-for-23. Soto was stranded at second in the ninth inning after Alvarez hit into a game-ending double play.
“We have been having a lot of tough times with the injuries,” Soto said.
One of the Braves’ first surprise contributors was Elder, who had a 5.59 ERA the previous two seasons but was pressed into the Opening Day rotation when Schwellenbach and Waldrep suffered elbow injuries in February.
Elder continued his strong season in his most recent start last Sunday, when he didn’t factor into the decision after allowing two runs over six innings in the Braves’ 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Elder is 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA in six career games (five starts) against the Mets.
Peralta took the loss Tuesday night after giving up six runs over six innings in the Mets’ 7-0 setback to the St. Louis Cardinals.
He is 5-2 with a 4.26 ERA in nine games (eight starts) against the Braves.
–Field Level Media
