Toussaint shines in relief as Braves hold off Mets

Touki Toussaint earned the win by tossing six solid innings of one-run relief in his season debut Saturday night as the host Atlanta Braves scored four runs apiece in the first and second innings of an 11-7 victory over the New York Mets.

The Braves, who lost the first two games of the four-game series, have won four of six. The Mets had a three-game winning streak snapped despite scoring at least six runs for a team-record seventh straight game.

Both starters were chased early Saturday. Mets left-hander Jason Vargas recorded just one out in the first inning and Braves southpaw Sean Newcomb exited after 1 1/3 innings.

But while the Mets' Corey Oswalt struggled in relief of Vargas, Toussaint spared the Braves' bullpen by allowing four hits and two walks while striking out seven just hours after he was recalled from Triple-A Oswalt allowed five runs on six hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.

The outing by Toussaint was the longest by a Braves reliever since Cristhian Martinez went six in a 19-inning win over Pittsburgh on July 26, 2011.

Toussaint was pulled with one out in the eighth after walking Travis d'Arnaud and giving up a single to Keon Broxton. Chad Sobotka induced Amed Rosario to hit into a potential double play, but first baseman Freddie Freeman threw the ball away, and d'Arnaud raced home with an unearned run.

Ronald Acuna Jr. (single), Dansby Swanson (bases-loaded walk) and Johan Camargo (two-run single) each had RBIs in the first inning before the Mets answered in the top of the second, when Juan Lagares laced a two-RBI double, Oswalt lofted a sacrifice fly and Jeff McNeil delivered a game-tying single.

The Braves went ahead for good in the second, when Freeman and Acuna each had RBI singles before Nick Markakis laced a run-scoring double and Dansby Swanson an RBI groundout.

Markakis (fourth inning) and Josh Donaldson (seventh) added solo homers for Atlanta.

Brandon Nimmo (single) and d'Arnaud (fielder's choice) each had RBIs in the ninth for the Mets.

Newcomb allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out none. Vargas was charged with four runs on two hits and three walks with no strikeouts. It was only the second time in 250 big league starts Vargas lasted less than an inning.

--Field Level Media