NEW YORK -- The New York Mets moved past the Matt Harvey controversy Monday and moved one step closer to a division title.
Jonathon Niese doesn't have an innings limit, and he led the Mets to a 4-0 win over the Braves in the first game of a three-game series.
The Mets are now 85-65 and have a 6½-game lead in the NL East -- the Nationals' game against the Orioles was rained out.
The Braves are now 60-91.
The pitching: Niese basically breezed through six innings, making it look rather easy. He gave up just three hits, all singles.
The Braves did load the bases on him with two outs in the third, thanks to a walk, a single and a Wilmer Flores throwing error. But Niese got a fly out to end the threat.
Manager Terry Collins went to the bullpen in the seventh, despite the fact Niese had thrown only 88 pitches. Addison Reed, Tyler Clippard and Jeurys Familia pitched the seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
The hitting: The Mets had the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning, thanks to a Curtis Granderson walk and singles by Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes, but scored only one run. Lucas Duda popped out, and then Travis d'Arnaud grounded into an unusual double play that actually scored a run. D'Arnaud hit a grounder to third base, Cespedes was thrown out at second, but then the Braves' second baseman dropped the ball before throwing to first. Granderson scored from third, but Murphy made a mental error and was thrown out in between second and third.
The Mets' second run came courtesy of rookie Michael Conforto's eighth home run of the season, a line drive into the left-field seats off Braves starter Shelby Miller.
They tacked on two more in the seventh inning off reliever Andrew McKirahan. Pinch hitter Michael Cuddyer singled, Eric Young Jr. ran for him, Granderson singled, and then Murphy stroked a two-run double.
Cespdedes was 3-for-4 on the night, with two doubles and a single.
What's next: The middle game of this three-game series. Logan Verrett (1-0, 1.91) is expected to pitch for the Mets, opposed by Matt Wisler (5-8, 5.63), at 7:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.