Braves take over first place from Mets, have sole possession of NL East for first time this season

The New York Mets have blown a double-digit lead in the NL East after the Atlanta Braves won Friday night and the Mets lost to the Miami Marlins. 

The Mets lost to the 57-80 Marlins Friday night, dropping their fourth game in the past six, 6-3. 

Despite getting home run No. 33 from Pete Alonzo, New York could not overcome an early deficit after allowing three runs in the first three innings. 

“It’s that time of year, a lot of us can hit that wall,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “We have to find a way to break through the wall and do it together. That’s what good teams do, and I’m sure we’re going to do it.”

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The Mets’ loss, coupled with Atlanta’s 6-4 win in Seattle later Friday night, puts the Braves atop the NL East for the first time this season. 

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Atlanta launched four home runs Friday night, winning their eighth game in a row and erasing a 10½-game June deficit in the division.

“That’s why we’re playing these games: trying to win the division,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “That’s our goal. When we left spring training, our No. 1 goal was to win the division. I think they’ve been great in their approach and how they come to work.”

The Braves were seven games back of New York Aug. 8 but have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, going 21-5 since. 

“It shows how dedicated we are to winning and how much we want to win,” Braves rookie Michael Harris II said. “We were down 10 games at one point, and now we’re leading the East. That was our main goal. We got to it, and now we’re just trying to keep it.”

The Mets and the Braves will both be in action Saturday night. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report