Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. ATLANTA Chris Sale wasnt even nice enough to leave Wednesdays game after eight innings with his team ahead by five runs. Instead, the Braves ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner wanted the complete-game shutout. He got two outs in the ninth, but in what could be deemed the Mets only succe s of the night, Brandon Nimmo blooped a single and Sale was removed at 116 pitches. The Mets could have used a rainout after a few innings. In a feeble performance, they managed only five hits (all of them singles) in a 5-0 lo s at Truist Park that extended their season-high Jamal Crawford Jersey losing streak to five games and dropped their lead in the NL East to one game over the Phillies. We did a good job the first 2 months of playing things through and this is the time of the year were going through it, Francisco Lindor said. Every team goes through it and weve got to continue to push each other. Work as hard as you can to get back to the winning side. The Mets, who fell to 18-19 on the road this season, have lost 25 of their past 35 games against the Braves dating to the 2022 season. Explore More Lindor downplayed the idea of added urgency because of the schedule: the Mets are in a 10-game stretch (Braves, Phillies, Braves) against NL East foes. Everyone understands the ultimate goal here and its the standard, Lindor said. Everyone that comes to this organization knows, I have got to play this game the right way and thats to play hard. We have got to push each other. Its about winning and the sense of urgency is there. Chris Sale dominated the Mets in the Braves 5-0 win on June 18, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect CHECK OUT THE AND Paul Blackburn, in his second start of the season, lasted 3 / innings and allowed four runs, one unearned, on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He was removed after 73 pitches (two below the limit team officials set for him). The right-hander moved into the rotation this week after Kodai Senga was placed on the injured list with a strained right hamstring. Blackburn had pitched twice from the bullpen after starting as part of a six-man rotation two weeks ago against the Dodgers. Matt Olson celebrates his solo home run during the seventh inning of the Mets lo s to the Braves. AP I feel like early on I was fighting myself out there a little bit, Blackburn said. But as the game went on, I feel like I got into a good rhythm and started to get a good feel for pitches there. Ronald Acua Jr. smashed Blackburns first pitch of the night over the center field fence to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. The inning got worse for Blackburn, who surrendered a single to Alex Verdugo and walked Austin Riley. Ronald Acua Jr. (13) reacts after hitting a leadoff home run during the Mets lo s to the Braves. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images With runners on second and third and one out, Blackburn threw a pitch in the dirt. Luis Torrens used his mask to stop the ball, resulting in a catchers balk officially charged as an error that brought in Verdugo. Marcell Ozuna followed with a sacrifice fly that placed the Mets in a 3-0 hole. I touched the ball with my mask and it shouldnt have happened, Torrens said. Paul Blackburn delivers a pitch during the Mets lo s to the Braves. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Ozzie Albies doubled in the fourth and after Michael Harris II was retired on a ground out, moving the runner to third, Jos Butt replaced Blackburn. Butt threw a wild pitch that brought in Albies, widening the Mets deficit to 4-0. Matt Olson launched a solo homer in the seventh against Ty Adcock that extended the Braves lead to 5-0. Ronald Acua Jr. hits a lead-off home run during the Mets lo s to the Braves. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Sale returned to the mound for the ninth and pounced on a ball to his left, sliding, to retire Juan Soto on a squib before striking out Pete Alonso. But Nimmos bloop to left field spoiled the complete-game shutout bid Braves manager Brian Snitker was immediate in summoning Raisel Iglesias after Sale failed to retire the side in order. The slider was on today, manager Carlos Mendoza said. [Sale] uses that pitch to not only get ahead but get chases, get back in counts, and on top of that, when hes throwing from 94-96 [sidearm], that is what makes him who he is. ATLANTA Chris Sale wasnt even nice enough to leave Wednesdays game after eight innings with his team ahead by five runs. Instead, the Braves ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner wanted the complete-game shutout. He got two outs in the ninth, but in what could be deemed the Mets only succe s of the night, Brandon Nimmo blooped a single and Sale was removed at 116 pitches. The Mets could have used a rainout. In a feeble performance, they managed only five hits (all of them singles) against Sale in a 5-0 lo s at Truist Park that extended their season-high losing streak to five games. The Mets, who fell to 18-19 on the road this season, have lost 25 of their past 35 games against the Braves dating to the 2022 season. Paul Blackburn, in his second start of the season, lasted 3 / innings and allowed four runs, one unearned, on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He was removed after 73 pitches. The right-hander moved into the rotation this week after Kodai Senga was placed on the injured list with a strained right hamstring. Blackburn had pitched twice from the bullpen after starting as part of a six-man rotation two weeks ago against the Dodgers. Ronald Acua Jr. smashed Blackburns first pitch of the night over the center field fence to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. The inning got worse for Blackburn, who surrendered a single to Alex Verdugo and walked Austin Riley. With runners on second and third and one out, Blackburn threw a pitch in the dirt. Luis Torrens used his mask to stop the ball, resulting in a catchers balk officially charged an error that brought in Verdugo. Marcell Ozuna followed with a sacrifice fly that placed the Mets in a 3-0 hole. Ozzie Albies doubled in the fourth and after Michael Harris II was retired on a groundout, moving the runner to third, Jos Butt replaced Blackburn. Butt threw a wild pitch that brought in Albies, widening the Mets deficit to 4-0. Matt Olson launched a solo homer in the seventh against Ty Adcock that extended the Braves lead to 5-0. Taurean Prince Jersey