"When the Braves struggle to score runs, they just turn Chipper Jones loose on the Mets.

Jones, batting second, had a double and a home run as the Braves defeated the Mets 6-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday in front of a sparse crowd at Citi Field. He also drove in two runs in the Braves' 5-1 victory in the nightcap to complete the sweep. The games were postponed after Hurricane Irene swept through the northeast last month.

In Game 1, Freddie Freeman and Martin Prado each had three hits for the Braves, who snapped a three-game losing streak after being swept by the Phillies. In Game 2, David Ross drove in two runs with a home run and a single and Dan Uggla added an RBI single. The Braves increased their wild-card lead to 7 1/2 games over the idle Cardinals. The Braves open a key three-game series in St. Louis on Friday.

In the first game, Jones blasted his 16th home run in the third inning of to tie the score at 4-4. Heyward's RBI single five batters later gave the Braves the lead for good.

Jones' 48th career home run against the Mets landed in the upper deck in right field. It tied him with Willie McCovey for the third most home runs all-time against the Mets. Jones trails Mike Schmidt (49) by one for second most behind Willie Stargell (60).

The lineup change designed to get the Braves' offense an early lead worked right away.

It lasted only a half inning.

The Braves scored three first-inning runs on a two-run double by Freeman and an RBI single by Prado. However, the Mets' Jason Bay hit a grand slam off starter Mike Minor in the bottom of the first to nullify the lead. Bay deposited the 1-2 hanging curveball several rows deep in right-center field."