MLB

JONES, BRAVES BEAT METS 5-3

Chipper Jones drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves prevailed in the matchup of bullpens in a 5-3 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday night.

The Braves broke a 3-3 tie against the New York bullpen, which gave up two runs in two innings. Atlanta relievers gave up one hit in three scoreless innings.

Pedro Feliciano (2-3) walked pinch-hitter Brooks Conrad, who advanced to third on Martin Prado’s hit-and-run single to left off Bobby Parnell. Jones, a .330 career hitter against the Mets, drove in Conrad with a single to right off Parnell to give the Braves a 4-3 lead.

Pinch-hitter Greg Norton added a run-scoring single off Pat Misch, New York’s third reliever, in the eighth.

Atlanta’s Derek Lowe and New York’s Oliver Perez both gave up five hits and three runs in six innings. Perez walked four and struck out six, while Lowe walked three and struck out two.

Manny Acosta (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh, Peter Moylan retired the Mets in order in the eighth and Rafael Soriano earned his 13th save after Brian Schneider reached on Jones’ fielding error. Soriano struck out pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed to end the game with a 96 mph fastball.

Jeff Francoeur was 0 for 4 with an RBI in his return to Atlanta following Friday’s trade to the Mets. He tipped his cap in response to the cheers from fans in right field in the first inning and received a loud ovation before lining into a double play in his first at-bat.

Ryan Church, who came to the Braves in the trade, did not start. He came in the game in the eighth as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement for Garret Anderson, who had three hits, including a homer.

The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the second on back-to-back homers by Yunel Escobar and Anderson.

The Mets scored three runs in the fourth. Luis Castillo, David Wright and Gary Sheffield opened the inning with three straight singles to drive in the first run. Francoeur’s groundout drove in Wright, and David Murphy added a run-scoring double.

Matt Diaz tied the game with a two-out double in the fourth. Brian McCann, who singled, scored from first on a headfirst slide with his hand touching the plate just before the tag from Schneider.

NOTES: The Mets selected the contract of IF Angel Berroa from Triple-A Buffalo before the game. Berroa, 31, was signed as a minor league free agent on Saturday after he was designated for assignment by the Yankees on June 24. … Escobar and Anderson hit the Braves’ first back-to-back homers this season. … Norton snapped an 0-for-11 slump with his first hit since June 5.