• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Perez shuts down Braves again

Apr 21, 2007 - 9:06 PM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- For the second time this month, the Atlanta Braves brought out the best in Oliver Perez.

Perez bounced back from a disastrous outing with 6 2/3 solid innings and Ramon Castro, Damion Easley and Jose Reyes all homered to lead the New York Mets to a 7-2 victory over the Braves

Carlos Beltran tied a career high with four hits for the Mets, who moved back ahead of the Braves into first place in the National League East.

Perez was making his first start since April 11 against Philadelphia, when he tied a career high with seven walks in just 2 2/3 innings.

"I know this was an important game for the team and for me," said Perez, who worked on some mechanical problems during bullpen sessions between starts. "After what happened in the last start, I was focused on this one."

In his only other start this season, Perez defeated the Braves on April 6, allowing one run in seven innings without walking a batter.

From the beginning, Perez (2-1) had far better control than he did against the Phillies, throwing 20 strikes in a row over a span of nine batters from the first through third innings.

"We're not a team that's going to wait him out," Braves third baseman Chipper Jones admitted. "We tend to expand he strike zone more. He took advantage of our aggressiveness,"

Perez did not go a three-ball count on any batter while allowing two runs and nine hits with nine strikeouts.

"It was a nice bounce-back game," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He needed to get back in a rhythm and he did."

The Braves broke through against Perez on an RBI double by Andruw Jones in the sixth and he began to tire in the seventh, allowing an RBI single off the wall by pinch hitter Chris Woodward, a former Met. Scott Schoeneweis walked the only batter he faced to loaded the bases before Joe Smith struck out Jones to end the inning.

Aaron Heilman worked the eighth and Billy Wagner allowed a walk in the ninth for the Mets.

Castro, the Mets' backup catcher behind Paul Lo Duca, hit his third homer in just 16 at-bats this season when he connected for a two-run shot off Chuck James (2-2) in the fifth to give the Mets a 4-0 lead.

"I'm staying inside on the ball. That is the key," Castro said. "I'm just going out there and being aggressive. I wasn't aggressive last year."

Easley homered to lead off the sixth and one out later, Reyes hit his second homer of the season to chase James. Tyler Yates relieved and allowed an RBI triple to Carlos Beltran.

James was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings and admitted to doing nothing right against Beltran.

"He's going to get his hits," James said. "He's not a guy you can throw the ball right over the plate to, and I did."

The Mets scored single runs in the first and third. Reyes, who had three hits, led off the first with a bunt single and went to second on an errant throw by James. Reyes later scored on a single by Beltran, who doubled in the third and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Moises Alou.