Rookie pitcher Zac Thornton continued his impressive run on Monday, leading the New York Mets to a 14-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. The win marked the Mets' first back-to-back victories since early July.
Thornton, 24, pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Despite allowing a run in the first inning, which ended his consecutive scoreless innings streak at 18 2/3, Thornton managed the game effectively. His performance extended his streak of starts with at least six innings pitched to four.
"That's who he is," Mets interim manager Andy Green said of Thornton. "The guy's young, but he [doesn't] allow [anything] to affect his next pitch, which is not an easy thing to do as a rookie on a big league mound for the first time."
Opponents had been hitting just .175 against Thornton entering the game. He surrendered three hits before recording three outs, with Ozzie Albies driving in a run with an infield single that ended Thornton's shutout streak. Albies also tied the game with a home run in the fourth inning. Thornton regrouped, allowing only three more hits over the next 5 1/3 innings.
"I left a few pitches [in the] middle, and I gotta get back to what I do well, living on the edges," Thornton said. "I’m a competitor. [I think] I’m gonna go out and beat whoever is on the other side of that field."
Green also discussed his management of young players like Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, balancing their development with the demands of a full major league season. He indicated that both players might receive periodic days off to stay fresh while still being challenged.
In other team news, infielder Mitch Voit, the Mets' 2025 first-round pick, has been promoted to Double-A Binghamton and is expected to debut with the team on Tuesday. Voit appeared in 76 games for High-A Brooklyn this season, batting .242 with 11 home runs and 36 stolen bases.