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Upton homers as Braves clip Mets

Apr 20, 2014 - 5:00 AM Flushing, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Justin Upton went 3-for-5 with a three run homer and two runs scored to help the Atlanta Braves to a 7-5 win over the New York Mets in the middle test of a three-game set.

Freddie Freeman finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Braves, winners in seven of their last eight games.

Ervin Santana (2-0) allowed one run on six hits while fanning seven over seven innings. Over three starts this season (21 innings), the nine-year veteran has allowed just one run and struck out 24 batters.

Jordan Walden left the bases loaded in the ninth to record his first save.

"I was ready. I'm always ready," Walden said.

David Wright and Chris Young each went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Travis d'Arnaud had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who have dropped two straight after sweeping Arizona earlier this week.

Bartolo Colon (1-3) allowed three runs on eight hits and struck out six to saddle the loss.

The Mets struck first when Wright singled to center to bring in Eric Young Jr.

Atlanta took the lead with a pair of runs in the third. With two on and two out, Freeman tapped a soft grounder down the third base line. Colon fielded the ball and threw it past Lucas Duda at first. The ball skipped off the wall in shallow right and rolled past Curtis Granderson and into right field allowing both runners to come all the way around.

Replays showed the ball struck Freeman's foot, but New York was unable to challenge the play because the play was not subject to review.

"Nobody saw it and you can't challenge it," Collins said. "You have to understand that this is a whole work in progress."

In the fifth, Freeman laced a double to right to bring Jason Heyward around for a 3-1 lead and Upton scored on Daisuke Matsuzaka's wild pitch in the eighth for a four-run edge.

Daniel Murphy and Wright opened the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back singles. After Granderson popped out, Young ripped a single to left to bring Murphy home. d'Arnaud added an RBI single two batters later to pull New York within 4-3.

Upton added a three-run shot in the ninth to center for insurance that the Braves would need.

Craig Kimbrel hit Young Jr. with a pitch before giving up a single to Murphy. Wright then doubled to center to push Young Jr. across. After Granderson struck out, Young singled to bring Murphy around to pull the Mets within 7-5.

After a mound visit, Kimbrel walked Duda to load the bases, spelling the end of his night.

Walden was brought in and got d'Arnaud to ground out to end the game.

Game Notes

Upton has five homers this season ... Atlanta was 3-for-9 with RISP ... Young Jr., who scored a pair of runs, walked twice and was hit by a pitch ... New York finished 5-for-19 with RISP ... Murphy was 3-for-5 with two runs scored.