ATLANTA - Steven Matz, the brilliant rookie lefthander, looked rusty in his second start back from the disabled list. The Mets offense, a juggernaut since the trade deadline, failed to get a hit with runners in scoring position.
Neither seemed to matter for the Mets, who have turned winning into a matter of habit. After dispatching the free-falling Braves, 5-1, on Friday night, the Mets opened up an 8 1/2-game lead in the NL East over the Nationals.
Not since 2006 -- when the Mets ran away with the division -- have they enjoyed such a comfortable advantage.