Braves  15    Mets  2

Recap: NY Mets vs. Atlanta

Sports Network | August 20, 2009

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Matt Diaz had four runs batted in to lead the Braves' highest scoring output of the season in a 15-2 shellacking of the Mets in the second of three games from Citi Field.

Diaz, who homered and had three RBI in Tuesday's loss, slugged a two-run shot and scored three times while Brian McCann cracked a three-run homer during an eight-run second inning for Atlanta, which fell 9-4 in the opener in large part thanks to New York tying a season-high with an eight-run fourth.

Omar Infante collected three hits, knocked in three and was one of four Braves with three hits during a season-high 18-hit outburst. Adam LaRoche was one of those, adding his 19th home run of the season during a 3-for-5 effort.

Jair Jurrjens (10-8) had plenty of run support but pitched effectively nonetheless, tossing six innings of two-run, eight-hit ball while fanning four and walking one. The right-hander picked up his first win since July 22 and was riding a four-start winless streak.

Atlanta has alternated wins and losses over its last seven games.

Bobby Parnell (3-5), making just his third career start, was hit around for nine runs and as many hits and lasted just three innings for New York, which had won two of its last three. The righty tossed six shutout innings and allowed just three hits with seven strikeouts his last time out in a win against San Francisco.

Angel Pagan and Luis Castillo drove in the runs for New York.

Atlanta gave Jurrjens a healthy 8-0 lead in the second and had the first three batters reach on singles to load the bases against Parnell. Diaz's two-run single opened the scoring before the next two batters were retired, but Infante and Garret Anderson both legged out infield hits to plate two runs.

Chipper Jones walked to load them up again, and Parnell's wild pitch scored Infante. After working the count full, the big blow came on McCann's three- run homer to deep right field that fittingly ended the barrage.

"It felt good. I've been working in the cage and I got a pitch to hit and didn't miss it," said McCann of his three-run swing. "Big innings like that don't happen very often. This was a must-win game."

Infante added an RBI double in the third before Parnell's outing was through.

"I try to go with what works and use my best pitch. Today it was the fastball and I tried to go after guys but some balls got through," remarked Parnell. "Having those long innings really wears on you. The heat and humidity might of got to me a little bit (but) I felt like I pitched good."

New York breached the scoreboard in the home half when Castillo scored Wilson Valdez with a single to center, but the Braves scored twice in the fifth off Nelson Figueroa to extend their lead to 11-1 on a Ryan Church RBI double and a run-scoring single from Infante.

Valdez reached base in the fifth with his second hit of the game and scored on a Pagan double to center, but a three-run Atlanta sixth courtesy of Mets reliever Tim Redding all but assured a New York loss.

LaRoche launched a solo home run out to right, and Diaz followed a Yunel Escobar base hit with his ninth homer on the year for a 14-2 game.

"We scored a lot of runs. It was just one of those crazy games where balls just kept falling in for us," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

Reid Gorecki came through with his first major-league hit and RBI in the ninth off Sean Green, poking a single into center field to score Church and close the scoring.

Atlanta took a 6-5 edge in the season series with the victory...Church and Escobar had the other three-hit games for the Braves...McCann's home run was his 14th of the season...Valdez, Castillo and Daniel Murphy had the lone multi-hit efforts for New York, which was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position...Manny Acosta, Boone Logan and Rafael Soriano each tossed a scoreless inning of relief behind Jurrjens...Braves infielder Martin Prado has been listed as day-to-day after returning to Atlanta to deal with reoccurring headaches.