Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka delivers to a New York Mets batter Friday night at Citi Field in New York.NEW YORK – About 25 minutes after the game ended, New York Mets leadoff hitter Jeff McNeil was still sitting at his locker in full uniform. Just outside the clubhouse, all the lights were out on his team’s side of the ground floor at Citi Field.
The darkness in the hallway certainly seemed appropriate.
Streaking rookie Mike Soroka outpitched 2018 National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom, and the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves got a two-run homer from fellow youngster Austin Riley in a 6-2 victory Friday night over the plummeting Mets.
“Felt good. Last four or five days for me have been a little scuffy,” Riley said. “I needed it.”
Rookie slugger Pete Alonso hit his 28th home run of the season for New York (37-46), which lost its sixth straight and fell 12 games behind the Braves. The fourth-place Mets returned home after blowing multiple-run leads in five consecutive defeats on a 3-8 trip, but they fared no better at Citi Field while getting booed by their own fans.