Mets nearly hitless in loss to Atlanta

One of the Mets’ largest home crowds of the season gathered at the ballpark on a perfect Saturday afternoon for what they thought would be the main event of the day and perhaps the weekend: Christian Scott, the organization’s top pitching prospect, pitching at Citi Field for the first time.

They ended up observing domination. . . by the other team.

The Mets lost to Atlanta, 4-1, after being held hitless until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

JD Martinez’s home run off Raisel Iglesias — his first with the Mets — saved them from no-hitter infamy. This did not save them from another loss.

The Mets actually ended up bringing the potential tying run to the plate after Jeff McNeil’s walk and Harrison Bader’s infield single. But Brett Baty lined out to center field for the final out.

Max Fried, a left-handed starter, handled the first seven innings, working around three walks and striking out five. But when he painted the low outside corner of the strike zone with a 97.3 mph sinker — his fastest pitch of the outing — to surprise McNeil and end the bottom of the seventh, he was done.

He had thrown 109 pitches. Even with history on the line, manager Brian Snitker made the decision almost everyone in his position in baseball would make today: go to the bullpen.

It was the third time in three weeks that Fried had a hit at least until the seventh inning.

Joe Jimenez worked through a two-walk, 30-pitch eighth inning that didn’t feature any hits. Then came Iglesias, who retired Francisco Lindor (strikeout) and Pete Alonso (groundout) to bring up Martinez.

Making his debut at Citi Field in his second championship game, Scott contributed to a quality start, allowing three runs in six innings (plus two batters in the seventh). He struck out eight and walked two.

Facing Atlanta’s loaded lineup, Scott fared less well against the bottom of the order. No. 8 hitter Orlando Arcia fired an inside fastball down the left field line, just right, for a two-run homer in the third inning. Michael Harris II, batting seventh, had an RBI single midway through the fourth.

Brandon Nimmo left early in the fifth inning due to right intercostal irritation, the Mets announced. The intercostals is a muscle located between the ribs.

Nimmo seemed to sense it on a check-down hit late in the third, but after being checked by manager Carlos Mendoza and an athletic trainer, he stayed in the game – and unleashed full swings on the next two pitches .

Tim Healey is the Mets writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about Northeast minor league baseball.