Ronald Acuna Jr. runs out his 13th inning infield single against the Mets at Citi Field on Aug. 23, 2019. Teams are wearing special color schemed uniforms with players choosing nicknames for Players Weekend. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (AP) - Billy Hamilton singled home the go-ahead run in the 14th inning for his first hit as a Brave, and Atlanta beat the New York Mets 2-1 Friday night for its sixth straight win despite yet another sensational game by Jacob deGrom.
The Mets tied a major league record by striking out 26 batters -- including 13 by deGrom -- but had their five-game winning streak end.
At 21, Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. became the second-youngest player with a 30-homer, 30-steal season. Only Mike Trout did it faster than Acuna.
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A speedy baserunning specialist, Hamilton was claimed by Atlanta off waivers from Kansas City last week to be a late-game contributor for the NL East leaders -- although not with his bat. Hamilton entered as a pinch-runner in the 10th and stole a base but was left stranded.
Four innings later, his grounder off Jeurys Familia (4-2) was just out of reach for diving second baseman Joe Panik, allowing Tyler Flowers to score from third. The hit came in Hamilton's fourth plate appearance since changing teams, and he added his second steal of the game a few pitches later.
DeGrom homered and struck out eight straight batters during one dominant stretch, pitching seven innings of one-run ball. He finished a punchout shy of his career high -- he whiffed 14 and also homered to beat Miami on April 3.
DeGrom became the first pitcher since at least 1900 to strike out 13 and homer in a game twice in the same season, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner got a no-decision anyway, the 18th time in his career he's pitched one-run ball or better over seven innings and not gotten a victory. New York is just 7-5 this year when deGrom allows one or fewer earned runs.
The Braves tied a major league record for strikeouts -- several teams had fanned 26 times, but never Atlanta hitters or New York pitchers. The Mets' previous high as a staff was 24, achieved June 2, 2018, against the Cubs during a 14-inning game -- deGrom also struck out 13 in that one.
The Braves have won nine of 12 and pulled six games ahead of Washington in the NL East. New York remained two games behind the Cubs for the second NL wild card after Chicago lost to the Nationals 9-3.
Atlanta has won nine of 12 against the Mets this season.
Flowers had appeared to score the go-ahead run two batters before Hamilton's knock when he came home from first on Adeiny Hechavarria's drive to right-center. The ball got lodged in the door to the visiting bullpen, though, and after a video review, umpires ruled it a ground-rule double and held Flowers at third.
It was the second straight dramatic victory for the Braves, who beat the Marlins on Acuna's walk-off single with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday night.
DeGrom's eight straight strikeouts marked the best such streak in the majors this year and tied his career high. He began his run against Freddie Freeman to end the third, and he got Hechavarria swinging to end the fourth for his 200th strikeout of the season.
The left-handed hitting deGrom lined a leadoff shot over the wall in left-center in the sixth to tie it 1-1. It was deGrom's second homer this season and third of his career. Mets pitchers lead the majors with six homers this season.
Freeman hit an RBI single in the sixth.
Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, allowing a run and striking out seven.
Luke Jackson (7-2) pitched two scoreless innings to win. Mark Melancon delivered a 1-2-3 14th to close out the 4 hour, 37-minute game for his fifth save.
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Acuna took second in the eighth inning for his 30th stolen base, giving him the fifth 30-homer, 30-swipe season in franchise history and first since Ron Gant in 1990 and '91. The 21-year-old Acuna also has 36 homers.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: SS Dansby Swanson (right foot contusion) felt good after his first rehab game with Class A Rome on Thursday. He was back at shortstop Friday night. ... 3B/OF Austin Riley (right knee sprain) was set to DH for Rome in his first rehab game. ... OF Nick Markakis (broken left wrist) was upgraded from a full cast to a removable one and did some running in the outfield before the game. ... RHP Darren O'Day (right forearm strain) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two.
Mets: All-Star Jeff McNeil (strained left hamstring) played third base and right field for Class A Brooklyn, going 1 for 4 in a rehab appearance. Manager Mickey Callaway left open the possibility that McNeil would rejoin New York on Saturday. ... C Tomas Nido was visited by a trainer after being slammed in the back of the head by Donaldson's backswing while trying to throw out a stealing runner in the sixth. Nido stayed in but was replaced the next inning by Wilson Ramos.
UP NEXT
Braves LHP Max Fried (14-4, 3.84) will honor late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs with his players' weekend uniform, which reads "Love You Ty." Fried and Skaggs both grew up in Southern California. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-7, 4.40) is slated to start for New York.