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Dickey pitches Mets to series win over Braves

Jun 6, 2011 - 5:38 AM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - The Mets gave R.A. Dickey some early run support and the knuckleballer tossed eight solid innings, as New York beat the Braves, 6-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Citi Field.

Spotted with a 4-0 lead after two innings, Dickey (3-6) scattered four hits with three strikeouts and one walk for the victory.

Putting the early advantage out of his mind, Dickey said he carried the same mind set all the way through his eight innings. The only blemish to his line was a leadoff home run by Brian McCann in the seventh.

"It's always 0-0 in my mind," said Dickey. "Regardless of the situation, in my mind I learned early in my career that playing to the lead is dangerous."

Manny Acosta succeeded the right-hander with a seemingly comfortable five-run lead. However, Acosta retired just one of the three men he faced in the ninth, walking the leadoff batter Martin Prado and surrendering a one-out double to Freddie Freeman.

Francisco Rodriguez replaced the ineffective Acosta and promptly gave up a three-run homer to pinch-hitter Diory Hernandez before striking out both Eric Hinske and Joe Mather to end the game.

Jose Reyes collected two hits, scored twice and knocked in a run for the Mets, who concluded a 10-game homestand with a .500 record.

Atlanta's Tim Hudson (4-5) allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings to suffer his first loss in four starts at Citi Field.

New York plated two runs in each of the first two innings. Carlos Beltran doubled home Reyes, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a leadoff single, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Angel Pagan.

Justin Turner delivered a two-out, RBI single in the second and Reyes made it 4-0 by hustling home from third on a wild pitch.

"They put themselves in a position to score and I just didn't really make good pitches," said Hudson. "They got some good swings on some pitches that were mistakes and they didn't miss."

Reyes stroked an RBI double in the fourth and Ruben Tejada put the Mets up 6-0 with a bases-loaded walk off Cristhian Martinez in the next frame.

Game Notes

Beltran left the game after fouling a ball off his right shin in the second inning. He is listed as day-to-day with a bruised lower leg...Hudson gave up more than three earned runs for just the fourth time in 12 starts this season...Atlanta has lost four of its last six games...Braves centerfielder Jordan Schafer was in the starting lineup on Sunday, two days after he suffered a small sinus fracture fouling a bunt attempt off his face in the series opener.