ATLANTA — Marcus Stroman was just good enough to earn his first Mets win Thursday night.
The veteran right-hander labored through the first inning of the Mets’ 10-8 victory over the Braves at SunTrust Park, needing 33 pitches, but was more efficient as the game progressed.
He lasted 5 ¹/₃ innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts, departing after 96 pitches. The only earned runs against Stroman came on homers by Matt Joyce and Josh Donaldson.
“This team, Atlanta, one through nine is pretty special,” Stroman said. “So it’s a priority on making your pitches and not leaving anything over the plate, especially to those one through five hitters, they are pretty special.”
Stroman surrendered four earned runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Nationals last Friday. In his Mets debut Aug. 3, he received a no-decision after allowing three earned runs over 4 ¹/₃ innings in Pittsburgh.
“I feel like me and Wilson [Ramos] are going to start getting in a good groove here,” Stroman said. “We are starting to get pretty familiar with each other. I am just looking forward to the next start because I think I truly am going to get better and better each one.”