Freddie Freeman hit a first-inning home run off Bartolo Colon, and Bud Norris added yet another impressive start to his recent ledger as the Braves secured a four-game series split with Sunday afternoon’s 5-2 win over the Mets at Turner Field.

Freeman’s opposite-field home run proved to be the only costly blow delivered against Colon, who scattered six hits and allowed just the one run over seven innings. The Mets veteran’s effort was trumped by Norris, who recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed just four hits over seven scoreless innings.
“We’ve been playing pretty well for the last couple weeks,” Freeman said. “Our starting rotation, minus a couple games, has kept us in games, and we’re starting to swing the bats better. It seems like the Mets have been in the middle of our nice little run and we’ve played them well.”
Adonis Garcia’s three-run home run off Logan Verrett highlighted a decisive four-run eighth inning produced by the Braves, who won five of seven games played against the Mets this month. Yoenis Cespedes’ RBI groundout and Wilmer Flores’ RBI single accounted for the two runs the Mets tallied against Alexi Ogando in the ninth inning.
“We aren’t hitting right now, but look, we’re two games back in the loss column,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, alluding to his team’s upcoming three-game series against the Nationals. “We’ll take it. The worst-case scenario going into the All-Star break is just don’t lose any more ground.”
Norris has produced a 2.15 ERA in the five starts he’s made since ending his bullpen stint to make an emergency start in place of Mike Foltynewicz. The veteran right-hander notched three of his strikeouts during a perfect first inning and pitched around the consecutive singles James Loney and Flores recorded to begin the fifth. Norris’ recent success has increased the possibility that the Braves will attempt to gain some value for him before the non-waiver Trade Deadline.
“You’ve really got to minimize things here and there,” Norris said. “It was nice that I didn’t walk anybody and we got another win. We’ve just got to keep this thing going.”
True to his scouting report, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo hacked at the first pitch he saw in his big league career. He fouled off that Norris fastball and wound up finishing 0-for-4 in his debut, including a fielder’s choice with two men on base and no outs in the fifth. The Mets called up Nimmo prior to Saturday’s game in an attempt to jump-start a scuffling offense, but he did not play until Sunday.
“After the first pitch of my first at-bat, it was kind of like, ‘OK, it’s the same game,'” Nimmo said. “I was really just more excited than anything to get it going. Coming up there for your first at-bat, you’re wondering what it’s like. Then you go up there and you’re like, ‘OK, it looks the same.'”
Freeman recorded at least three hits for the sixth time within the past 13 games. The Braves first baseman began his latest three-hit game by hitting Colon’s first-pitch fastball into the first row of the left-field seats. He has batted .385 (20-for-52) against the Mets this season and .481 (13-for-27) in his career against Colon.
“I just treat [Colon] like I do a knuckleballer,” Freeman said. “You know he’s going to throw strikes, so I just go up there swinging. Today, he was [throwing] a little bit slower than normal. So I just kind of wanted to sit back and get a good pitch to hit. He seemed to be doing that early in counts. So I came out aggressive like I normally do.”
Along with providing the decisive blow with his fourth home run within a span of 48 at-bats, Garcia also made two dazzling defensive plays. The Braves third baseman caught Neil Walker’s pop fly before nearly falling into the stands in the second inning. Then in the ninth, he slid along the grass to make an over-the-shoulder catch on Loney’s pop fly behind third base.
John Gant will take the mound when Atlanta opens a three-game series against Cleveland on Monday at 6:10 p.m. CT at Turner Field. The Indians have lost seven of the nine games played in Atlanta dating back to the 1995 World Series.  Thunder Radio will bring you the broadcast of that game as part of the Braves Radio Network.  The pregame show will begin at 6:00 PM.

The Nashville Sounds hit three home runs including one from Oakland A’s outfielder Josh Reddick in a 9-4 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers in front of 7,562 fans Sunday night at First Tennessee Park.

Bruce Maxwell added a solo blast and Renato Nunez launched a two-run shot to help Nashville (45-33) bust out of an offensive slump.

Aaron Kurcz set the tone in a spot start for the Sounds as he retired the first six batters he faced. He went on to throw 3 2/3 scoreless innings. The bullpen combination of Ryan Brasier, J.B. Wendelken and Andrew Triggs went the rest of the way in the win.

Nashville started the scoring in the third and never looked back. Maxwell hit the first home run of the night to right-center off Omaha (32-43) starter Christian Binford.

Reddick got in on the act in the fourth when he started the inning with a solo smash of his own to extend the lead to 2-0. He finished the night 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.

Omaha got on board in the sixth with a single tally but a four-run bottom half of the inning gave the Sounds control the rest of the way.

The first five batters of the inning reached as Chad Pinder, Joey Wendle, Nunez and Maxwell all had hits in the frame. Nunez, Matt Olson and Maxwell all had an RBI in the inning.

Jorge Bonifacio drilled a two-run homer for the Storm Chasers to pull within 6-3 in the top of the seventh. But again, Nashville answered with more runs of their own.

Doubles from Reddick and Ryon Healy gave the Sounds a 7-3 lead before Nunez delivered the final blow of the night with his two-run blast to left field. It’s the team-leading 12th home run of the season for Nunez who drove in three runs to up his RBI total to 44.

Brasier went 2 1/3 innings and earned the win in relief. Wendelken allowed the homer to Bonifacio but worked two frames before handing off to Triggs who tossed a scoreless ninth.

Game three of the four-game series is set for Monday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Chris Jensen (0-2, 5.25) starts for the Sounds against left-hander John Lannan (5-7, 5.27) for the Storm Chasers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Julio Teheran and Jacob deGrom waged an impressive pitching battle and maintained their status as two of baseball’s most unfortunate pitchers in terms of run support. Once they exited on Saturday night at Turner Field, Kelly Johnson damaged his former team with a pinch-hit home run that provided the Mets a 1-0, 11-inning win over the Braves.

Johnson, who spent this season’s first two months with the Braves, opened the 11th inning with a home run off Dario Alvarez. The solo shot provided the Mets their fourth win in their past five games and ended a 23 2/3-inning scoreless streak for Atlanta’s bullpen.
“You get excited coming here to play,” Johnson said. “Any time you’re playing against a former team, you get a little extra pep in your step. You like to go and prove yourself.”
Coming off the one-hit shutout he tossed at Citi Field on Sunday, Teheran limited the Mets to five hits over eight scoreless innings. The Braves right-hander has completed a career-best 23 consecutive scoreless innings over his past three starts and 24 consecutive scoreless innings against the Mets within a three-start span that dates back to last year.
deGrom proved every bit as impressive as he scattered seven hits and did not allow a run over a season-high eight innings. The Mets have not scored a run while deGrom has been in the game within any of his past three starts. They have provided him a total of two runs of support over his past five starts.
“I’m on Julio’s side, but both [starting pitchers] were impressive tonight,” Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte said. “So, you can see when a game goes zero-zero through the 10th inning, it’s because two starters are dealing.”
It was an ex-Met against an ex-Brave when Johnson stepped to the plate against Alvarez to lead off the 11th. Less than three weeks after they traded him to the Mets for the second time in a calendar year, Johnson burned his old team with a line-drive homer to right. All three of the left-handed Johnson’s homers this season have come off lefty pitchers.
“I felt like it was going to be out, I did,” Johnson said. “When I saw it hit the top of the wall I was a little bit humbled. That’s a big gap out there.”
The Braves grounded into three double plays within the first four innings and were unable to capitalize after notching three singles against deGrom in the sixth. Teheran recorded the first of these three singles, but he was held at third base when Nick Markakis drilled a two-out single to left field. Adonis Garcia followed with an inning-ending groundout.
“That’s a good call,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said of third base coach Bo Porter’s decision to hold Teheran. “You can’t run that guy into an out right there. You’ve just got to hope you can get a big hit with the next guy. And then shoot, Adonis smokes a ball down the line. We just couldn’t scratch one over.”
Striking out seven and inducing three consecutive inning-ending double plays, deGrom was as sharp as he’s been all season. But the Mets gave him his usual run support: next to nothing. They have gone 21 consecutive innings without scoring a run while deGrom has been in the game, and have plated a total of two for him over his last 35 innings. He has not won since April 30 despite a 2.25 ERA over his last six starts.
As Teheran has posted a 1.72 ERA over his past 13 starts, he has steadily strengthened the argument that he should still be considered a top-flight pitcher. The Braves’ right-hander hit Curtis Granderson’s with a 1-2 slider in the third inning and two batters later allowed a single Yoenis Cespedes. But Cespedes was thrown out attempting to take second by third baseman Adonis Garcia, who took a throw from Inciarate in center. Neil Walker followed with a flyout that began a streak in which Teheran retired 16 of the final 17 batters he faced.
“I didn’t feel like I needed to change anything,” Teheran said. “Obviously after you throw a one-hit shutout, you don’t want to put anything else in your head. You just come in thinking if you have to make adjustments, you make adjustments. I’m just trying to compete every time.”
Brandon Nimmo, the Mets’ No. 4 prospect, should make his debut in the starting lineup in Sunday’s series finale at Turner Field against the Braves at 12:35 p.m. CT. The Mets called up Nimmo prior to Saturday’s game, optioning fellow outfielder Michael Conforto to Triple-A Las Vegas. Nimmo will play behind starting pitcher Bartolo Colon, 20 years his senior.  Atlanta will counter with Bud Norris in the series finale against the Mets on Sunday. Norris has allowed two earned runs or less in three of the four starts he has made since being placed back in the Braves’ rotation.  Thunder Radio will bring you the action on the Atlanta Braves Radio Network beginning at noon.

The Omaha Storm Chasers spoiled the party by beating the Nashville Sounds, 4-2, in front of 11,684 fans Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. It’s the largest crowd in ballpark history and the eighth sellout of the 2016 season.

The Storm Chasers got on the board immediately when Reymond Fuentes and Ramon Torres started the game with back-to-back singles. Hunter Dozier brought in the first run of the night with a sacrifice fly.

Nashville bounced right back in the second with the help of Omaha’s shaky defense. Matt McBride extended his hitting streak to eight games with a one-out double down the left field line to get into scoring position. He came around to score when Omaha shortstop Ramon Torres threw away a ground ball hit by Rangel Ravelo.

It remained 1-1 until the fifth inning as both starters settled in. In desperate need of a long outing from a starter, Angel Castro pitched into the seventh for the Sounds.

Irving Falu’s big night started in the fifth when he doubled to the gap in left-center to bring in a pair of runs to extend Omaha’s lead to 3-1.

Falu was at it again in the seventh when he clubbed another run-scoring double to make it 4-1. Both extra-base hits came with two outs for the former Sound.

Kris Medlen went 4 2/3 innings in a Major League rehab assignment before handing the game over to the Omaha bullpen.

Nashville got to the bullpen in the seventh – again with the help of Omaha’s defense. Joey Wendle reached on an error to start the frame and came around to score on a base hit by Ravelo.

From there, the Sounds had opportunities to score but couldn’t come through with runners on base. Despite putting multiple runners on base in each of the final three innings, they went just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Castro was tagged with the loss and Benino Pruneda earned the win after tossing 1 2/3 innings in relief.

Game two of the four-game series is set for Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Christian Binford (1-5, 5.49) starts for Omaha and Nashville has not announced a starter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.