NO RELIEF: Bobby Parnell reacts in the eighth inning after surrendering the lead to Atlanta in an 8-7 loss to the Braves yesterday.
ATLANTA — Death, taxes and the Mets bullpen blowing it.
Bobby Parnell stepped to the head of the conga line yesterday in shouldering the blame for his team’s latest bullpen meltdown, but this was a collective effort against the Braves.
Tim Byrdak, Pedro Beato and Parnell combined for the royal flush, with three runs allowed in the eighth inning, sending the Mets to an 8-7 loss at Turner Field.
Jason Heyward’s RBI single against Parnell in the eighth was the final dagger on a day the fireballing righty got summoned for a five-out save. Parnell never received a chance to record those final three outs, after blowing his first save in three chances since Frank Francisco was placed on the disabled list last month.
“I got ground balls and unfortunately they didn’t go where I wanted them,” said Parnell, who allowed three hits in the inning. “It’s a tough lineup and a tough part of the lineup, too. Unfortunately it didn’t go our way.”
The Mets (46-42) lost for the fourth time in five games and will need a victory today with Johan Santana on the mound to avoid getting swept three games by the Braves to start the second half.
“We kind of limped into the [All-Star] break and now we’re limping out of it,” R.A. Dickey said. “We’ve got to pitch better, myself included. The backbone of our success has been keeping us in ballgames, our pitching staff, so we’ve got to continue to find a way to do that.”
Dickey had a third rough start in his last four, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings with four strikeouts. In his last four starts, the All-Star knuckleballer is 1-0 with a 5.19 ERA.
Dickey’s abbreviated start left the Mets bullpen to carry the burden — never a good idea considering its 4.96 ERA, which ranks last in the major leagues.
Josh Edgin, Jon Rauch and Byrdak kept the Braves scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings, but it all crumbled in the eighth with the Mets leading 7-5. Brian McCann walked against Byrdak before Beato entered and allowed a single to Dan Uggla. With one out, Parnell arrived and struck out Juan Francisco before successive singles by Michael Bourn, Martin Prado and Heyward put the Braves ahead.
Manager Terry Collins was ejected in the fifth after umpires convened and correctly overturned Dale Scott’s ruling that Jordany Valdespin caught Heyward’s sinking drive to left. Prado was originally ruled doubled off first base, ending the inning, but Heyward got awarded a single and Prado second base after a discussion among the four umpires. Replays clearly showed the ball hitting the ground. Collins argued and received his second ejection of the season.
“Terry, of course, came out and argued, as he should,” Scott said. “That’s what he’s supposed to do and he was good about it. He understood. In fact, he said during the argument, ‘I know you got the play right, I’m just frustrated.’ ”
The reversal had big implications: Freddie Freeman stroked a two-run double later in the inning to give the Braves a 5-3 lead, all but ending Dickey’s afternoon.
But the Mets scored three runs in the sixth against Tommy Hanson to go ahead. Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada and Valdespin each had an RBI single in the inning.
“[The Braves] can put runs on R.A. and they’ve seen him a lot and they’re a good team,” Ike Davis said. “They found some holes today and we found some holes and we both hit some good pitching.”
mpuma@nypost.com