Olson, Fried lead Braves to rain-shortened win over Mets

NEW YORK — Matt Olson hit a three-run homer and Max Fried pitched the Atlanta Braves to a 4-0 victory over the New York Mets in a game called after five innings Friday night because of rain.

Ronald Acuña Jr. had an RBI single in the fifth and Olson followed with a 433-foot drive to right-center off David Peterson for his first home run against a left-hander this season.

After the Mets were retired in the bottom half, umpires called for the tarp and the game was called following an 88-minute delay.

Fried allowed three hits and went the distance as the teams played in a steady rain at Citi Field all night. Atlanta improved to a major league-best 11-2 on the road and beat the Mets for the seventh time in their last eight meetings.

It was the first game between the NL East rivals since the Braves completed a pivotal three-game sweep in Atlanta last September that sent them to their fifth straight division title.

The slumping Mets have lost five of six and were shut out for the fifth time this year.

Acuña hit an RBI single after Eddie Rosario was thrown out trying to score on a grounder by Michael Harris II.

Olson launched the next pitch from Peterson (1-4) over New York’s bullpen in right-center. A fan standing on the Shea Bridge caught the long drive.

Olson struck out and grounded out before going deep and is 8 for 39 off left-handed pitching this year. Last season he hit seven of his 34 homers off lefties and also homered seven times against the Mets.

Fried (2-0) did not permit a run for the third straight outing and has allowed just one all season. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one for his 54th win since 2019, the most among left-handed pitchers in that span.

Fried ended the fifth by fanning Brandon Nimmo with a runner on first.

After the Mets batted in the fourth, Peterson took a few warmup pitches from the grass on the first base side as grounds crew members attended to the soggy mound.

The Braves then set up Olson’s eighth homer with a pair of well-placed hits.

Rosario singled to left field just past diving shortstop Francisco Lindor, and Kevin Pillar followed with a double down the left-field line that barely stayed fair and hopped over the third base bag.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Braves: RHP Raisel Iglesias felt fine after throwing 12 pitches in his first minor league rehab appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday. Iglesias has been out all season with a sore right shoulder after being shut down in the final week of spring training.

Mets: RHP Justin Verlander (strained muscle in upper back) allowed two hits and struck out six in 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a rehab appearance for Double-A Binghamton. Verlander will be evaluated Saturday and the team will decide if he needs another rehab outing. … LHP José Quintana (rib surgery) played catch for the first time since undergoing surgery.

UP NEXT

Atlanta RHP Spencer Strider (3-0, 1.80 ERA) opposes Mets RHP Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.96) on Saturday afternoon, though rain is in the forecast again. Strider took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and struck out 13 against Miami on Monday.