ATLANTA -- The New York Mets officially have ended the longest active streak of losing seasons in the majors.
A half-inning after Tyler Clippard surrendered a game-tying three-run homer to Adonis Garcia, the Amazin’s retook the lead in the ninth on Kelly Johnson's RBI single and beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 on Saturday at Turner Field.
The Mets notched win No. 81 of the season.
Combined with the Washington Nationals' loss at Miami, the Mets opened a season-high 9½-game division lead and reduced their magic number to 12.
The Mets (81-61) and the Houston Astros each entered 2015 with an MLB-high six straight sub-.500 seasons.
The American League West-leading Astros (76-65) are poised to snap their futility streak this season, too. So that will make the Miami Marlins the new leader in that category. This year will mark Miami’s sixth straight losing season.
Johnson twice had grounded into inning-ending double plays earlier in the game. In fact, the Mets had inning-ending double plays with runners on the corners in four different innings. But after Travis d'Arnaud delivered a leadoff double in the ninth against Arodys Vizcaino and Eric Young Jr. entered as a pinch runner, Johnson followed with the decisive RBI single.
Him again: Yoenis Cespedes declined an invitation from manager Terry Collins to take Saturday’s game off. Cespedes then continued his torrid production. Cespedes homered in the eighth against Edwin Jackson, then had a run-scoring grounder in the ninth that opened a 6-4 lead. He now has 16 homers and 41 RBIs in 39 games since joining the Mets.
Familia company: Jeurys Familia notched his 40th save. He became only the third pitcher in franchise history to reach that threshold, joining Armando Benitez (43 in 2001 and 41 in 2000) and Billy Wagner (40 in 2006).
Thorsday: Returning to the rotation after one skipped start to conserve innings, Noah Syndergaard dominated the Braves. After surrendering an RBI single to Freddie Freeman in the first inning, Syndergaard retired the next 11 batters. That included striking out Freeman in his next plate appearance with a 100 mph fastball.
Jace Peterson singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth, which snapped Syndergaard’s streak of retired batters. However, Peterson was erased trying to turn the hit into a double on a strong throw from left fielder Michael Conforto.
Syndergaard ultimately limited the Braves to one run on two hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out eight in a 94-pitch effort and departed with a 4-1 lead. Syndergaard allowed no baserunners after the first inning, other than Peterson’s single that ended with Conforto’s fifth outfield assist.
After beginning his career winless in nine road starts, Syndergaard was in position to win his second straight start away from Citi Field until Garcia’s three-run homer.
Syndergaard is now 22 innings over last year’s total. The Mets have suggested that a six-man rotation will be sufficient and Syndergaard will not need to be skipped again this season.
Armed and dangerous: Despite arriving with a scouting report as a subpar fielder, Conforto continued to shine Saturday. In addition to his fifth outfield assist, Conforto also had a diving catch to retire Michael Bourn and end the second inning.
Conforto entered Saturday’s game with seven defensive runs saved in 264 innings, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That ranked 10th among major league left fielders despite being produced in the equivalent of only 30 games.
What’s next: Jonathon Niese tries to snap a streak of three straight starts in which he has allowed a five-run frame. Niese (8-10, 4.36 ERA) opposes right-hander Ryan Weber (0-1, 3.00) in Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. ET series finale.
The Mets will bid for their first four-game sweep in Atlanta since July 4-7, 1985. That’s the series during which the Braves shot off 4 a.m. Fourth of July fireworks after a 16-13 win by the Mets in 19 innings.