By Charles Odum
The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Mike Pelfrey wasn't distracted by a pregame meeting of the Mets' top executives.
"I didn't really pay attention to that; it's out of my pay grade," Pelfrey said.
A focused Pelfrey gave the Mets a lift with 7 2/3 strong innings and New York beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on Monday night to end a five-game losing streak.
Pelfrey (5-1) became the first Mets starting pitcher to win a game this month. He was perhaps an unlikely choice to end the May drought as he improved to only 3-10 in 19 career starts in the month.
The right-hander said he wasn't aware of the rotation's monthlong drought.
"I knew my last three starts I didn't have a win," Pelfrey said.
Rod Barajas gave the Mets a 2-0 lead with a two-run double off Derek Lowe (5-4) in the second inning.
"We needed to go out there and stop what was going on. Put a halt to it," Barajas said of the losing streak.
Pedro Feliciano struck out Brian McCann with the bases loaded in the eighth to protect a one-run lead. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his sixth save. With two outs, Yunel Escobar walked and stole second. Rodriguez struck out Nate McLouth to end the game.
Pelfrey gave up seven hits and two runs, walked two and struck out three.
"Again, pitching is the key," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "If we continue to get this kind of pitching, it at least gives us a chance."
Pelfrey also ended the Mets' streak of five straight road losses. With the win, the Mets moved out of last place in the National League East, one-half game ahead of Atlanta.
Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon met with Manuel, general manager Omar Minaya and assistant general manager John Ricco before the game.
Asked after the game if the win meant Wilpon would remain with the team, a smiling Manuel said: "I don't know what that plan is. Whatever it takes, I'm cool with that."
Lowe gave up four hits and three runs in seven innings.
"We just couldn't get the big hit when we needed it," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "Pelfrey pitched well. Lowe did, too. Four hits is pretty good for seven innings."
Barajas drove in Chris Carter, who led off the second with a double, and Ike Davis, who was hit by a pitch, with his two-run double.
Carter was 1-for-2 and drove in a run and is hitting .400. The rookie started in right field for Jeff Francoeur and may start again on Tuesday for left fielder Jason Bay, according to Manuel.
"We have a chance to keep some people fresh and see him continue to swing the bat," Manuel said of Carter, who was recalled on May 11.
Atlanta's Eric Hinske, who hit his first homer of the season on Sunday, had three hits, including his second homer. He hit an 0-2 pitch from Pelfrey over the right-field wall in the fifth to cut the Mets' lead to 2-1.
Jose Reyes' ninth stolen base helped the Mets push the lead back to two runs in the sixth. Reyes singled, moved to second on a sacrifice and stole third before scoring on Carter's groundout to second.
Martin Prado, named NL player of the week on Monday, led off the sixth with a double and later scored on Chipper Jones' sacrifice fly to cut New York's lead to 3-2.
The Mets protected the lead in the eighth after McLouth hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice and raced to third on a wild pitch from Pelfrey. McLouth broke for the plate on Prado's grounder to Reyes at shortstop. Reyes threw to the plate to start a long rundown that finally ended with McLouth out and Prado standing on second base.
Feliciano gave up Jason Heyward's infield single before walking Jones to load the bases. He struck out McCann to end the threat.
Braves outfielder Jordan Schafer was activated from the disabled list and optioned to Class AAA Gwinnett, where he already was on a rehab assignment.