Martin Perez continued his resurgence by giving up one run over 5 1/3 innings and earning the win Saturday afternoon, when the Atlanta Braves edged the host New York Mets 3-1 in the middle game of a three-game series between the National League East rivals.
Eli White went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, while Michael Harris II homered in the eighth for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Mark Vientos had a sixth-inning RBI single for the Mets, who fell to 2-3 on a homestand slated to conclude Sunday.
Perez (5-3) gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out four over 5 1/3 innings. The 35-year-old southpaw lowered his ERA to 2.90. He was 6-12 with a 4.24 ERA the previous two seasons.
Dylan Lee, Didier Fuentes, Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias combined to limit the Mets to two hits over the final 3 2/3 innings. Iglesias notched his 14th save by recording the final three outs. He worked around Juan Soto’s leadoff double and a one-out walk to Marcus Semien before Francisco Alvarez hit into a double play.
Bo Bichette finished 2-for-4 for the Mets in his fifth multi-hit effort in the last nine games. Soto was also 2-for-4.
Mets starter Sean Manaea (1-2), who made his first 14 appearances this season out of the bullpen, allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out six over six innings.
Matt Olson led off the second with a single and scored on White’s one-out double to center.
White’s two-out homer in the fourth marked the only other time the Braves got a runner beyond first against Manaea.
The Mets cut the lead in half in the sixth, when Bichette’s one-out double chased Perez. Lee retired Juan Soto on a fly out to center before Vientos singled home Bichette.
Mets reliever Austin Warren retired five of the first six batters he faced before Harris’ blast to right.
