ATLANTA -- Over and out!
Lucas Duda broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer against Julio Teheran in the sixth, and the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves 5-0 Friday at Turner Field.
Still, before completing their 154th game of the season, the Mets (74-80) were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Russell Martin had a three-run homer in a four-run eighth to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pittsburgh notched its 83rd win -- more than the Mets can achieve even if they win out.
The Mets need to go 7-1 the rest of the way to reach .500 and snap their streak of consecutive losing seasons at five straight.
"We thought we had the pieces, but we had to have a lot of things go right because we had a lot of question marks,” Terry Collins said pregame, with the Mets on the brink elimination. “I don’t call them, ‘holes.’ I call them ‘question marks,’ because I think if you’re a major league player you’re talented. There were certain things guys had to do that we talked about in spring training that, ‘Hey if we get this out of this guy, this out of that guy, we’re going to be in the hunt.’ We didn’t do that.
"We’ve competed. We’ve competed very well. And now it’s a matter of next year trying to go in with a realization that, ‘Hey, look, we are going to be good enough.’”
Zack Wheeler contributed six scoreless innings despite requiring 105 pitches.
Wheeler’s final line: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
Duda now has 28 homers and 85 RBIs, both team highs by sizable margins. The long ball total ranks third in the National League, trailing only idle Giancarlo Stanton (37) as well as the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo (31).
Duda’s homer plated Daniel Murphy, who finished 4-for-5. Murphy matched his career high with the four hits.
The Mets tacked on three ninth-inning runs.
What’s next: Jonathon Niese (8-11, 3.55 ERA) opposes left-hander Mike Minor (6-11, 4.74) at 7:10 p.m. Saturday.