ATLANTA _ Back in June, SunTrust Park marked the first stop on what appeared to be a season-defining, three-city road trip for the Mets. But it turned out they were only beginning a downward spiral that also included the infamous Chicago clubhouse incident and a four-game sweep at the hands of Philadelphia. Many saw the abysmal stretch as the death of the Mets' season.
Times, as you may have heard, have changed. The Mets hoped that, because they recently stormed back into contention, perhaps the results would be much better here.
They must wait at least another day for that to materialize.
The new Mets (61-58) on Tuesday had a crack against the National League East's first-place team, but fell short in a 5-3 loss. New York, which had won eight straight and 15 of 16 before Sunday's loss, has dropped two in a row.
A potential second loss of the night came in the ninth inning, when Jeff McNeil pulled up after trying to leg out an infield single. He gingerly limped off the field, though under his own power.
New York, whose season spiraled in the middle, must earn the respect of its fans and the league. The Mets seemingly accomplished the former in an emotional series victory over Washington last weekend, but they'll need more time to satisfy the latter.
This is one game. The Mets play two more here, and have an opportunity to win a series.
But this is also their first road test against a contender. Not Chicago, not Pittsburgh, but a squad expected to actually make noise in October.
The Mets, to be taken seriously, must prove themselves against teams like the Braves. And this week, New York will not have a raucous, sellout crowd providing energy whenever needed.
On Tuesday, the Mets were lifeless until the eighth inning, when they scored a pair to make it a two-run game. One run scored on a groundout and the other on a ball hit by Juan Lagares, whose four hits on Tuesday matched his July total. But the Mets did not officially become the comeback kids they were over the weekend.
Again: It is one game and that all could change.
That said, no one would blame you for being a bit cautious, considering how this season has gone.
The Mets fought an uphill battle from the start, as Zack Wheeler allowed two first-inning runs. That he surrendered them so early maybe came as a surprise because he had thrown two scoreless outings _ 15 total innings _ before Tuesday. He had not allowed a run since the Mets decided not to trade him.
Wheeler allowed 12 hits and faced trouble most of the time over five innings. In the fourth, Ronald Acuna Jr. launched a 409-foot homer. Ender Inciarte smacked a double down the right-field line an inning later to give Atlanta a four-run lead.
It did not help that Max Fried held the New York offense to a run over six innings. Nor did it aid matters that New York missed a couple key opportunities to turn momentum on its side.
McNeil, who can hardly be blamed this season, struck out with a man on third to end the fourth. In the sixth, Lagares singled to left and Todd Frazier rumbled home. Acuna fielded the ball and threw a strike to nab Frazier at home, sending the crowd into a frenzy as the inning ended.
If you're looking for a Mets positive, it's that Brad Brach, Luis Avilan, Jeurys Familia and Drew Gagnon combined to shut out the Braves over three innings of relief. They allowed the bats ample time to storm back.
In the two-run eighth, the Mets forced multiple pitching changes. They had the go-ahead run at the plate in Joe Panik, but he grounded out to end the inning. Atlanta's Mark Melancon then shut down the Mets in the ninth.
The Braves, who led the division by 5 { games entering Tuesday, flexed once again. New York remains in the wild card race, but it faces multiple contenders over the final month and a half of the season.
The Mets' postseason fate rests on their ability to beat teams like the Braves. Now is an opportunity to begin doing so.
