Mets lose as Braves improve to 5-0

ATLANTA (AP) -- Julio Teheran pitched effectively into the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves stayed hot with a 5-3 victory Saturday night over the New York Mets, who learned earlier that injured closer Jenrry Mejia was suspended 80 games for a positive drug test.

The Braves began the season looking to rebuild after trading several big-name players, but instead they improved to 5-0 for the first time since beginning the 1994 season 7-0. Atlanta's franchise record for consecutive wins to begin a season is 13, set in 1982.

Freddie Freeman homered for the Braves. Jim Johnson faced four batters in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Teheran (2-0) allowed three baserunners through the first six innings, but he retired none of the five batters he faced in New York's three-run seventh.

He appeared to hurt his right leg when the leadoff batter, Lucas Duda, singled up the middle, but Teheran stayed in the game after manager Fredi Gonzalez and a team trainer visited the mound.

Third baseman Alberto Callaspo was charged with a fielding error on Juan Lagares' RBI force attempt that cut the lead to 5-1. Teheran was chased after hitting Travis d'Arnaud with a bases-loaded pitch that made it 5-2.

Reliever Brandon Cunniff got Wilmer Flores to ground into a double play that scored the third run.

Teheran struck out five while giving up two hits, four walks and three runs - one earned.

Freeman's homer, his first of the season, made it 1-0 in the second and was his 14th homer in 73 career games against the Mets.

The Braves went up 5-0 in the fifth on RBI doubles by Christian Bethancourt and Andrelton Simmons, Eric Young Jr.'s RBI triple and Nick Markakis' RBI single.

That ended the night for Mets starter Dillon Gee (0-1), who gave up eight hits and five runs and struck out two in five innings.

Gee has pitched at least five innings in 47 straight starts, longest active streak in the majors. He had gone 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his previous three starts against Atlanta.

The Braves improved to 100-55 against the Mets at Turner Field.

LINEUP SHUFFLES

Mets: After two costly throwing errors in Friday's 5-3 Atlanta win, Flores was back in the lineup at shortstop and had no apparent difficulties.

"He had a bad night, you know?" said Collins, who told Flores to stay relaxed in the field. "He's got to go out and play."

Collins added the team will stay with its plan before the series and start SS Ruben Tejada on Sunday. Collins doesn't want Tejada to get rusty.

Braves: Gonzalez said all spring that he liked the versatility of his "small ball" roster. Gonzalez has stayed true to his word, using five different lineups in the first five games.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon (1-0) has a 0.43 ERA with victories in each of his three career starts at Turner Field. In six career starts against Atlanta, Colon is 4-2 with a 2.00 ERA and has allowed one homer in that 45-inning stretch.

Braves: LHP Alex Wood (1-0) gave up two runs or fewer in 10 of 12 home starts last year. In five career starts against the Mets, however, Wood is 0-2 with a 4.10 ERA.

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