The Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves, 6-2, on Thursday afternoon as their spring training slate continued.
Here are the takeaways...
- Carlos Carrasco breezed through a perfect first inning, needing just eight pitches to get three fly outs. Things didn't come as easily in the second, with the right-hander issuing a leadoff walk to Kevin Pillar before serving up a two-run homer to Eli White.
Overall, Carrasco allowed two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one in two innings. He threw 30 pitches (21 strikes).
- Bryce Montes de Oca, battling for one of the final spots in the bullpen, worked around two walks in a scoreless inning where his stuff was electric. His outs? A 99 mph fastball for strike three looking, a 101 mph fastball for strike three looking, and a 102 mph fastball to induce a ground out.
- Eduardo Escobar, who might be asked to play some left field for Venezuela during the World Baseball Classic, got a taste of left when he was moved there in the fifth inning. Brett Baty replaced Escobar at third base.
- Baty grounded a sharp single through the right side of the infield in his second at-bat and roped a single to right field in his third and final at-bat. He went 2-for-3 overall and is batting .500 this spring.
- Ronny Mauricio flew out to left field in his only at-bat.
- Mark Vientos got the start at first base and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Drew Smith allowed a run with an asterisk attached to it in his inning of work. After a leadoff walk to Yolmer Sanchez, Smith struck out Forrest Wall looking. On the called strike three, the Mets had Sanchez nailed at second base on a stolen base attempt, but Omar Narvaez made a poor throw that sailed into center field, allowing Wall to advance to third base and score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Vaughn Grissom.
- Jose Butto, who is expected to open the season in the rotation for Triple-A Syracuse, had a solid outing. He allowed one run on two hits while walking none and striking out three in 2.0 frames.