Braves 5, Mets 2

NEW YORK – Julio Franco’s game-tying double keyed Atlanta’s four-run rally in the eighth inning against a struggling New York bullpen Saturday night, and the Braves defeated the Mets 5-2.

Leading 2-1, the Mets turned the game over to Mike Stanton at the start of the eighth. But Chipper Jones opened with a single and scored the tying run on Franco’s double. That finished Stanton (0-4), who left to a chorus of boos.

Ricky Bottalico retired Andruw Jones and walked Johnny Estrada intentionally as the Mets looked for a double play. Instead, Bottalico also walked Eli Marrero, loading the bases. Braden Looper relieved and pinch-hitter Adam LaRoche delivered a sacrifice fly to give the Braves the lead.

Atlanta added two more runs on hits by Rafael Furcal and Marcus Giles, giving the Braves a three-run margin. Chris Reitsma pitched the eighth and John Smoltz worked the ninth for his 19th save.

It was the Mets eighth loss in 11 games and the fourth straight loss in which the bullpen has taken the defeat.

Mets starter Al Leiter battled through five innings, throwing 117 pitches, just 58 for strikes. He walked five batters and struck out four but went to 3-and-2 counts on 11 batters, including the first four Atlanta hitters in the game.

But he squirmed out of trouble repeatedly, leaving the bases loaded in the third, stranding a leadoff runner at second base in the fourth and left two more runners on after two-out walks in the fifth.

Then he turned the game over to the Mets bullpen. Newly-acquired Mike DeJean pitched two shutout innings before Atlanta rallied in the eighth.

The Braves scored first when Franco opened the second inning with a walk, moved up on an infield out and came in on Estrada’s single.

New York tied it in the third on one-out walks to Kaz Matsui and Cliff Floyd and an RBI-single by Richard Hidalgo, and took the lead in the fifth when Jose Reyes beat out a bunt, stole second, moved to third on an infield out and scored on a double by Floyd.

The Mets loaded the bases with none out in the first inning but failed to score.

Reyes led off with a single and Matsui and Floyd walked. But John Thomson (8-7) escaped by getting Hidalgo to ground into a double play that forced Reyes at the plate and Ty Wigginton to pop up.

New York has managed just 15 hits in 87 bases-loaded opportunities this season.

Thomson worked seven innings and allowed seven hits and two runs. He walked five and struck out four.

Notes: Catchers Vance Wilson of the Mets and Estrada of the Braves both committed throwing errors on stolen bases in the first inning. … Drew extended his hitting streak to 20 games. … The Shea Stadium crowd of 33,166 cheered Boston’s ninth-inning comeback victory over the Yankees when it was posted on the scoreboard. … Reyes stole two bases, giving him nine for the season. … Thomson reached 1,000 innings for his career.

AP-ES-07-24-04 2230EDT