ATLANTA (AP) - Robert Gsellman wanted to pick up an injured teammate. Jose Reyes wanted to show that the Mets still have winning talent.
Michael Conforto homered and drove in three runs, and New York scored five times in the fourth inning off Julio Teheran before holding on to beat the Atlanta Braves 7-5 on Monday night.
Reyes also homered for the Mets, who regrouped quickly following Sunday’s 23-5 loss at Washington. The score was bad, but losing ace Noah Syndergaard for an undetermined period of time was worse.
It was only the first day of May, but manager Terry Collins said it was “very important” to win following the devastating loss and injury to Syndergaard.
“Yesterday was an ugly, ugly day,” Collins said. “The injury was bigger than the score of the game for me. It just goes to show you, it’s only one game and you’ve got to move on.”
On the day the Mets placed Syndergaard on the 10-day DL with a partial tear of his right lat muscle, Gsellman (1-2) almost blew an early 6-1 lead. Gsellman allowed five runs in five-plus innings.
“You always want to pick up your teammates in any way you can,” Gsellman said.
Five Mets relievers combined for four scoreless innings. Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his second save.
Conforto led off the game with his seventh homer and added a two-run single in New York’s five-run fourth inning off Teheran (2-2). With New York’s lead down to 6-5, Reyes added a homer off Ian Krol in the eighth.
Atlanta’s Ender Inciarte hit his fifth homer to lead off the first.
The Mets already were missing two injured hitters from the middle of their lineup before losing Syndergaard.
Yoenis Cespedes was placed on the disabled list Friday with a strained left hamstring. First baseman Lucas Duda could have been eligible to return from a hyperextended left elbow, but he had a setback over the weekend while on his minor league rehab assignment.
“We have to continue to play with what we have here,” Reyes said. “We still have unbelievable talent.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: GM Sandy Alderson said Duda has been “slowed down slightly” for a couple days before resuming his minor league rehab. Alderson said Duda “felt a little discomfort from the exertion” and that setback changed plans for Duda to come off the 10-day DL on Monday.
Braves: RHP Mauricio Cabrera, on the 10-day DL with a right elbow strain, is scheduled to pitch one inning for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday. The plan is for Cabrera to pitch two innings in his next rehab appearance. … 3B Adonis Garcia remained in the game after fouling a ball off his left knee in the sixth and requiring a visit from the trainer.
ROSTER MOVE
The Mets recalled RHP Paul Sewald from Triple-A Las Vegas to fill Syndergaard’s roster spot. Sewald gives the bullpen a fresh arm, and the team will make another move to fill Syndergaard’s spot in the rotation by Friday. Collins said left-hander Sean Gilmartin and right-hander Rafael Montero are the top candidates to join the rotation.
GOOD AS GOLD
Inciarte, who was presented his 2016 Gold Glove Award before the game, made a leaping catch of Reyes’ drive in center field in the second inning.
SOLVING JULIO
The Mets’ five runs off Teheran in the fourth matched their scoring total in their last seven games against the Braves’ ace.
“I don’t know what happened,” Teheran said. “I was missing a little bit. They took advantage when I didn’t have my stuff. I don’t want to keep this game on my mind. Just try to forget about it and make my adjustments.”
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Matt Harvey will look for his second win over the Braves this season on Tuesday night. Harvey (2-1) beat Atlanta on April 6 at Citi Field, allowing two runs on three hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Braves: R.A. Dickey, who won the 2012 NL Cy Young Award with the Mets, will face his former team for only the second time. He beat New York on April 27, when he allowed three runs, two earned, in a 7-5 win.
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