Schwellenbach strikes out 11 and Braves hit 3 home runs to end 6-game losing streak with 4-0 win over Mets

Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson hit back-to-back homers in the fourth after Mets starter Tylor Megill retired the first 11 batters he faced in his return from the minors. Orlando Arcia added an RBI single in the fifth on a leadoff walk to catcher Sean Murphy, and Eddie Rosario hit a deep hit against Megill (2-5) to lead off in the seventh.

Atlanta has surpassed the Mets for second place in the NL East and the league’s top wild card. The battered Braves snapped their longest losing streak since a six-game losing streak in September 2017 — the final week of Brian Snitker’s first full season as manager. They haven’t lost seven in a row since August 2016.

“It’s probably an understatement to say we needed a win today,” Snitker said.

Schwellenbach (4-5) shut down a red-hot Mets lineup as the Braves ended New York’s five-game winning streak. He walked no batters and threw 62 of 89 pitches for strikes in his 10th major league start.

“His fastball was the hardest I think it’s been this year,” Mets slugger J.D. Martinez said. “His stuff was moving everywhere. … He had everything moving.”

Snitker was asked if he would consider letting the 24-year-old Schwellenbach pitch the eighth inning.

“I don’t know if he’s going to get to the eighth inning. We’re looking at total innings in his first full year and things like that,” Snitker said. “He probably could’ve gotten to nine, honestly. But we have to be aware of the innings this kid is going to get, especially as he goes deep in games.”

The rookie right-handed pitcher retired his final 10 batters, allowing only hits on doubles by Jeff McNeil in the second and Pete Alonso in the fourth.

“That was really impressive,” Snitker said. “He’s amazing — just the consistency, the innings he’s thrown, how he’s done it.”

Joe Jiménez and Raisel Iglesias completed a four-hitter for Atlanta’s 12th shutout, tying Boston for the most in the majors. Rosario helped with a leaping catch near the left-field fence in the ninth inning, and Iglesias drove in Martinez and Alonso with two on base to end a game that lasted just 2 hours and 13 minutes.

New York, which never advanced a runner to third, was blanked for the eighth time and went 11-4 in its last 15 games. Martinez hit up all four times and Mark Vientos struck out all three.

“That was his best game of the year,” Murphy said of Schwellenbach. “I feel like he’s gotten better every time. I don’t say that lightly. I feel like he’s gotten more comfortable and he’s kind of fine-tuned it to what we want to do with him. We needed this game today. Spencer delivered.”

Braves: 2B/OF Whit Merrifield (right index finger) will not be cleared to play until his stitches are removed. Snitker believes that won’t happen until Atlanta is back home on Aug. 1.

Mets: RHP Kodai Senga was placed on the 15-day injured list and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a serious left calf injury. New York manager Carlos Mendoza did not rule out Senga’s return this year if the Mets reach the playoffs. … CF Harrison Bader missed his fourth straight game with right ankle soreness. But he was feeling better and said he would be doing pregame drills. Mendoza hoped Bader would be available as a substitute. … OF Brandon Nimmo was rattled after throwing a ball off his left knee in the fourth period, but he stayed in the game and said he was fine afterward.

All-Star RHP Reynaldo López (7-4, 2.12 ERA) starts for Atlanta in the final game of Sunday’s four-game series against LHP David Peterson (5-0, 3.14).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb