Braves 2, Mets 0

Mets 1, Braves 0

New York: Jeff Mcneil laced his second go-ahead hit in two days Monday night, when his RBI double in the fifth inning sent the New York Mets to a victory over the Atlanta Braves and a doubleheader split.

Kyle Muller threw five sharp innings to earn his second big league victory in the opener, a 2-0 win for the Braves.

Under pandemic rules, each game was shortened to seven innings.

The Mets have split nine of their 11 doubleheaders this season and swept the other two. The loss in the nightcap prevented the third-place Braves (49-51), who have yet to be above .500 this year, from reaching the break-even mark for the seventh time. They are five games behind the NL East-leading Mets.

New York squandered a first-andthird, none-out opportunity in the fourth before scoring its lone run of the day in the fifth. Brandon Nimmo led off with an infield single and scored one out later on the double by Mcneil, who was making his first start since Wednesday.

Mcneil missed games Friday and Saturday against Toronto with left leg fatigue before delivering a pinch-hit, two-run double that broke a tie in the sixth inning of Sunday’s 5-4 win.

Trevor May (3-2), the fourth of six Mets pitchers Monday night, threw a perfect fifth.

The Braves mounted their biggest threat in the sixth against Seth Lugo, who gave up a single to Joc Pederson and walked Ozzie Albies before Freddie Freeman flied out to the wall in left field. Austin Riley then hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

Edwin Diaz struck out the side in a perfect seventh for his 22nd save.

Mets opener Aaron Loup threw a perfect first inning.

Braves starter Bryse Wilson allowed four hits and walked one with two strikeouts in three-plus innings.

In the first game, the 23-year-old Muller (2-3) gave up four hits and walked two while striking out three. He allowed the Mets to advance just two runners as far as second base as he lowered his ERA to 2.55 in six games (five starts).

Tyler Matzek threw a perfect sixth and Will Smith earned his 20th save.

Muller also helped build the Braves’ first run by singling off Marcus Stroman (7-9) in the third for his first major league hit. Pederson followed with an RBI double.

An unusual double by Dansby Swanson leading off the fourth began the Braves’ second run-scoring rally. Swanson’s shot high off the center-field wall was initially ruled a homer by second base umpire Jose Navas, but Kevin Pillar threw the ball

into the infield and Swanson was tagged by shortstop Jonathan Villar as crew chief Doug Eddings overruled Navas and awarded Swanson second base.

Phillies 6, Nationals 5

Philadelphia: Consider Andrew Mccutchen’s walk-off homer another closing statement from the clubhouse to the front office ahead of Friday’s trade deadline as the Phillies turned what looked to be dispirited loss into an energizing win over the Nationals.

The Phillies were down to the final three outs and down two runs when Jean Segura started the ninth with a double off Nationals closer Brad Hand. The Phillies had life, but they have struggled for a week to hit with runners in scoring position. There was still heavy lifting to be done. Three batters later, it was over.

Mccutchen’s three-run homer followed a walk by Bryce Harper and clawed the Phillies back over .500. They enter Tuesday 31/2 games behind the Mets for first place in the National League East. The front office has holes to fill and first place remains in reach. They’ll be buying before Friday.

Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 4

Boston: Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox rallied late for the second straight game, beating Toronto 5-4 on Monday night in the opener of an important series for the Blue Jays.

Boston star Rafael Devers added a solo homer on the four-year anniversary of his first major-league shot. It was the AL All-star third baseman’s first homer with a natural-colored barreled bat. Each of the previous 100 in his career were with a dark-colored barrel.

Devers belted one for his first big-league hit in his second career game in a victory at Seattle on July 26, 2017.

Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer for fourth-place Toronto, which fell to 101/2 games behind in the East.

A day after being no-hit for seven innings by New York’s Domingo Germán before putting up five runs in the eighth to erase a four-run deficit and beat the rival Yankees, Boston’s bats were held down until Verdugo belted his drive over the Red Sox bullpen off Trevor Richards (1-1).

It was Boston’s major-league leading 33rd come-from-behind victory.

Royals 4, White Sox 3

Kansas City, Mo.: Jorge Soler hit two home runs for the second straight game and the Kansas City Royals extended their winning streak to six games with a win over the Chicago White Sox.

Mike Minor (8-8) gave the Royals their fifth quality start in the last six games. He allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out seven. Minor’s victory in Milwaukee on July 20 started the Royals’ current winning streak.

Scott Barlow worked the final two innings and picked up his sixth save.

Dallas Keuchel (7-4) took the loss after surrendering three solo home runs. He allowed four runs on six hits over six innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Soler hit the first Keuchel pitch of the second inning for his 12th home run, and his fifth in the last six games. Soler’s blast went 449 feet to dead center.

In his next at-bat, Soler hit another home run, this one 413 feet to left. It was the ninth time in his career — and the second time in as many games — that Soler has hit multiple home runs in a game.

The Royals missed an opportunity to pile on in the fifth. Michael A. Taylor stroked a one-out single.