Braves 1, Mets 0: Sale Wins a Six-Inning Duel

One run separated two excellent starts

July 29, 2026, Citi Field, New York: Jim Jarvis doubled into the right-field corner to open the sixth. Five batters later, he had scored the only run either team managed.

Drake Baldwin's infield single moved Jarvis to third. Matt Olson then sent a one-out single through the middle, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. Christian Scott escaped the inning with the bases loaded, but the run stood through the final pitch.

The Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 1-0 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader at Citi Field. The night game made up Tuesday's postponement. New York had won Wednesday's opener 3-2, so Atlanta's win produced a split.

The game gave hitters little room. The Mets had two hits. The Braves had seven, but only two came in the same scoring sequence. Chris Sale and Scott turned a late July makeup game into a six-inning contest over who would make the first mistake.

Sale gave New York nothing free

Sale retired the first six Mets he faced. Carson Benge broke the run with a leadoff single in the third, but Sale answered without allowing him to score. He then retired eight straight before Eric Wagaman singled to begin the sixth.

That was the full New York hit list against him. Sale completed six scoreless innings on 94 pitches, allowing two singles while striking out nine and walking nobody. He threw 63 strikes and improved to 12-6 with a 2.08 ERA.

The lack of walks shaped the game. New York couldn't pair a free pass with one of its two hits, and Sale kept the bases empty enough to attack. When Wagaman reached in the sixth, Sale got two flyouts and struck out Bo Bichette to finish his night.

The line strengthened Sale's case among the National League's best starters. More important on Wednesday, it gave Atlanta six innings to find one run.

Scott matched him until the sixth

Scott deserved better than a loss. He held Atlanta scoreless for five innings and allowed five hits across six. He struck out seven, walked one, and threw 69 of 98 pitches for strikes.

The outing was Scott's longest since May 24, 2024. Against Atlanta, he finished six and allowed one earned run.

Jarvis created the break with his double, ending an 0-for-13 stretch. Baldwin followed with the infield hit. Olson then lined Scott's pitch into center and scored Jarvis while Baldwin moved to third.

Scott stopped the inning there. The Braves loaded the bases, yet he got Mauricio Dubón to fly out and kept the Mets within one. Sale and Atlanta's bullpen never gave New York a chance to tie it.

The contrast was harsh and simple. Scott allowed five hits and one run, then took the loss. Sale allowed two hits and no runs, then watched three relievers finish his work.

Three relievers carried the shutout home

Didier Fuentes replaced Sale in the seventh. He walked one and struck out all three batters he retired. Dylan Lee retired the Mets in order on eight pitches in the eighth.

That sent the one-run lead to Raisel Iglesias. He threw eight pitches, all strikes, and retired the Mets in order for his 22nd save. Luis Robert Jr. flied out to left for the last out.

Atlanta's bullpen allowed no hits in three innings. Fuentes issued the staff's only walk, but his three strikeouts stopped the inning there. Lee and Iglesias didn't put a runner on base.

The combined line made Olson's single enough.

Olson drove in all three Atlanta runs

Olson drove Atlanta's offense in both parts of the doubleheader. His two-run homer accounted for the Braves' scoring in the 3-2 afternoon loss. His single produced the only run in the night win.

That doesn't make the two games alike. The opener turned on a home run and a Mets response. Game 2 belonged to the pitchers from the start, and Atlanta needed Jarvis and Baldwin to build the one opening Olson could finish.

Baldwin went 2-for-4 in the night game. Jarvis scored once and supplied Atlanta's only extra-base hit. The Braves stranded eight runners, including three when Scott escaped the sixth.

New York stranded only three because it rarely reached. Benge and Wagaman had the Mets' two hits. The first six spots in the New York order went a combined 0-for-21. Sale and the bullpen didn't allow the lineup to connect one good plate appearance to another.

AthX Engine put Sale atop the slate

AthX Engine, AthX's projection and scoring system, gave Sale 29 pitching fantasy points (FP). He led every pitcher on the July 29 slate. Scott earned 17 pitching FP in defeat, a strong return for six innings with seven strikeouts and one earned run.

The team numbers need context because Atlanta and New York played twice. AthX Engine's daily team row combines both games of the doubleheader. The Braves and Mets each recorded five team FP across the full day. Those five points belong to the two-game total, not Game 2 by itself.

Daily fantasy points measure the day's on-field results. Dynamic pricing also accounts for market activity and other price inputs. A 29-FP start can matter without producing the same number as a share-price change.

Atlanta leaves with the split

The Braves finished the day 63-45 and kept first place in the NL East. They also completed a 3-3 road trip and improved to 16-16 in one-run games, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Mets fell to 46-63 after winning the first two games of the series. Scott gave them six innings that should win plenty of games. Their lineup gave him two singles and no runs.

Game 2 came down to one clean sequence. Jarvis doubled. Baldwin moved him over. Olson brought him home. Sale and three relievers made sure that was enough.

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*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday final, ESPN box score, AP recap, Atlanta Journal-Constitution recap, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*