Cespedes bomb enough to beat Braves

NEW YORK (AP) – Yoenis Céspedes came back with a bang, taking immediate advantage of the new designated hitter rule in the National League by launching a home run that sent Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets past the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in their season opener Friday. After five dominant innings from deGrom, who was firing 99 mph fastballs from the start, Céspedes connected in the seventh off reliever Chris Martin for his first homer since his previous major league game on July 20, 2018. The slugger missed most of the past two seasons with a string of leg injuries, requiring surgery on both heels and then a broken ankle.