Those Mets

FRENCHY BURNS FORMER TEAM

METS, NOW 6.5 OUT, ACTUALLY WIN A GAME ON THE ROAD

Shortly after Monday's loss to the Braves, Jeff Francoeur cited his final at-bat of the evening -- a single up the middle -- as evidence that he was about to hit a hot streak. He recorded only one hit Tuesday. But it was the one the Mets needed. Francoeur homered off former Mets closer Billy Wagner to lead off the ninth inning, snapping a 2-2 tie and leading the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Braves at Turner Field. Two innings after the Mets tied the game against Atlanta's usually stellar bullpen, Francoeur drove a 96-mph fastball over the right-field wall, giving the Mets their first lead of the series. Mets starter R.A. Dickey allowed two runs in six innings, both runs due partly to some imperfect defense. In the second, Melky Cabrera drove home a run after Luis Castillo could not make a diving stop on Rick Ankiel's ground-ball single up the middle. And in the sixth, Cabrera tripled home a run on a tailing drive that Francoeur could not cut off in right-center field. Francoeur, though, drew a leadoff walk in the seventh to spark the tying rally. Against Braves reliever Kyle Farnsworth -- in whom the Mets reportedly showed interest before Saturday's non-waiver Trade Deadline -- pinch-hitter Chris Carter singled home Francoeur in the seventh. The Mets had scored just once earlier in the game off Braves starter Derek Lowe, on Jose Reyes' RBI double in the third. The Mets entered the game a season-high 7 1/2 games out of first place, alone in fourth for the first time since May.