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Braves break Mets jinx, chase Santana in rout

Apr 18, 2012 - 3:09 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Rookie Tyler Pastornicky highlighted a five-run second inning with a two-run double and the Atlanta Braves snapped their skid against the New York Mets with a 9-3 victory Tuesday night at Turner Field.

Atlanta starter Randall Delgado (2-0) pitched in and out of trouble while allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

The Braves had dropped five in a row to their NL East rivals, including the opener of this three-game set on Monday -- a 6-1 setback that halted Atlanta's winning streak at five games.

The Mets posted a season-opening three-game sweep at Citi Field and also took the final meeting of 2011.

"That New York trip wasn't the best trip for us, to get off to that start, but we've picked up our play and everything's been good," Pastornicky said.

The Braves roughed up Johan Santana (0-2) in the shortest outing of his career.

Santana was tagged for six runs -- four earned -- on four hits and one walk. The left-hander threw 55 pitches (35 for strikes) and recorded only four outs.

Atlanta scored a run during its first trip to the plate.

Michael Bourn led off the first with a fly ball that bounced off Jason Bay's glove in left field for a two-base error. Bay made a home run-saving grab a day earlier, but his miscue resulted in a 1-0 lead for Atlanta as Bourn scored on Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly.

It only got worse for Santana as the first five Atlanta batters reached base in the second.

Dan Uggla walked, Matt Diaz singled, improving to 18-for-35 against Santana and Freddie Freeman plated a run with an opposite-field double to left. Pastornicky followed with a double to right and scored on a throwing error by first baseman Ike Davis.

Delgado dropped down a sacrifice bunt and Pastornicky came home when Davis' throw to third was offline. Two batters later, Jason Heyward plated Delgado with a base hit, ending Santana's night.

"[New York manager Terry Collins] told me there were too many pitches in that inning and he didn't want to take any risks," said Santana, who missed all of last season due to surgery on his throwing shoulder.

The Mets got two runs in the fourth after Uggla lost a high popup in the lights. Bay was credited with a double and scored on Josh Thole's single, the first of three consecutive two-out hits given up by Delgado. Pinch-hitter Mike Baxter drove in Thole.

Atlanta upped its lead to 8-2 in the fifth on a Diaz sac fly and an RBI single by Freeman. Daniel Murphy singled home rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis in the sixth for New York.

Juan Francisco homered off Mets reliever Manny Acosta in the eighth.

Game Notes

Kris Medlen tossed 2 2/3 innings in relief of Delgado, allowing only one hit...New York third baseman David Wright went 2-for-5. He has reached base safely at least twice in all eight of his games this season, extending his own team record...The Mets were 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.