Acuña Jr. hits a home run and Schwellenbach dominates from the mound in the Braves' victory over the Mets

NEW YORK — With a solid combination of offensive power and dominance from the mound, the Atlanta Braves defeated the New York Mets 3-2 this Monday night at Citi Field, in the first game of a four-game series.

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Venezuelan Ronald Acuña Jr. shined by hitting a home run in the third inning, while young starter Spencer Schwellenbach stood out again with an efficient performance of seven innings, consolidating himself as one of the most resilient pitchers of the campaign.

“I’m trying to be consistent and give the team a chance to win every time I go out,” declared Schwellenbach, who leads the Major Leagues with 103.2 innings pitched in 2025.

The Braves went ahead early in the score with sacrifice flies from Michael Harris II and Sean Murphy, punishing Mets starter Paul Blackburn (0-2) for the second time in less than a week.

In 119 plate appearances since returning from the injured list, Ronald Acuña Jr. is hitting .408/.513/.735 with nine home runs and 16 RBIs in 28 games. Anyone wondering how he’d come back from his second ACL tear, the answer is: majestically. pic.twitter.com/cq2S3lJUTX
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 24, 2025

In the third inning, Acuña Jr. hit a solo home run that proved decisive. The Venezuelan finished the night with two hits in five at-bats, scoring one run and driving in one. The Mets responded in the sixth with a blast from Juan Soto, who hit his 17th home run of the year —and eighth of the month—, driving in two runs that brought New York closer. However, the comeback attempt faded when Soto struck out with runners on the corners in the eighth inning against the left-hander Dylan Lee, who retired the four batters he faced to get his second career save.

“It was a great relief from Lee, just when we needed it. Cutting that streak without saves was important,” commented the Braves manager.

Lee’s save was the first for Atlanta since May 16, breaking a drought of 31 consecutive games without a save, the longest in franchise history. Atlanta improves to 4-0 against the Mets this season and continues its dominance over its divisional rival, while New York accumulates nine losses in its last ten games, including a sweep suffered last week at the hands of these same Braves. Offensive Summary by Team: