ATLANTA - Joc Pederson hit a solo home run off Carlos Carrasco in the third inning, and William Contreras went deep with a two-run shot off Carrasco in the fourth as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 6-5 on Saturday night.
Two nights after clinching their fourth straight National League East Division, the Braves had three regulars in the lineup: first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Dansby Swanson and left fielder Eddie Rosario. Manager Brian Snitker said the everyday lineup will be back for Sunday's regular-season finale for Atlanta, which was locked into its playoff spot entering the series against the Mets.
The Braves have won seven of their past eight games. New York, which stranded the bases loaded in a two-run ninth inning, ended a two-game winning streak and will try Sunday to win the season series with NL East rival Atlanta for the first time since 2017.
Pederson went deep into the Braves' bullpen in right-center field for his 18th homer of the year. Orlando Arcia followed with a double and scored on Freeman's single to make it 2-0. Contreras' eighth homer of 2021 sailed into the left-field seats to put Atlanta up 4-0.
The Braves will face the Milwaukee Brewers an NL Division Series that starts Friday. The Brewers, who won the NL Central, will have home-field advantage as the higher seed.
"I think we're a great team, and I don't think there's much to worry about getting stale or not prepared," Pederson said. "I think we've been preparing for this moment all year, and we're ready for it."
Rosario's RBI single in the fifth made it 5-0, and the Braves led 6-1 in the sixth on Arcia's RBI single.
"We're in a great spot," Pederson said. "Hitting well, pitching well, bullpen's throwing well, and that's what you need. It's going to be a fun run."
Carrasco (1-5) had posted a 14.73 ERA in the first inning this season but changed his fortune by facing four batters and striking out three in the initial frame. He got no help from his offense as New York mustered three baserunners on an error and two walks in the first four innings.
"It was good to see him get out of the first inning," Mets manager Luis Rojas said. "He changed things up a little bit. He threw back-to-back changeups to start the game. He didn't have a normal season. He had a lot of challenges and setbacks with injury, but he came to compete and help the team win games."
Carrasco allowed five runs and seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings.
"There were a lot of ups and downs," Carrasco said when asked about his season. "I didn't have a regular spring training. I missed three months. I worked hard to get back. We've got another year, so I just need to come in ready."
The Mets didn't get a hit until Luis Guillorme snapped an 0-for-16 skid with a one-out single in the fifth. Michael Conforto singled with one out in the sixth and scored from first on Pete Alonso's double to trim the lead to 5-1. Francisco Lindor tripled in the eighth for his 1,000th career hit and came home on Conforto's 14th homer, a 418-foot shot to right off Dylan Lee, to make it 6-3.
Kevin Pillar's RBI triple and Brandon Nimmo's RBI pulled New York within 6-5 off Richard Rodriguez in the ninth.
Jesse Chavez started in a bullpen game for the Braves and tossed two perfect innings. Drew Smyly (11-4), who lost his spot in the rotation after losing a road decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 30, pitched around two walks in the fourth and a single the next inning.
A.J. Minter came on in the sixth and pitched the seventh. Jacob Webb recorded the final out to earn his first save in three chances, getting Villar to ground out with the bases loaded.
"It's been a pretty good formula when we've had to do these bullpen games," Snitker said. "Jesse and Smyly - I thought they both threw the ball extremely well."