NEW YORK - Camera phones were taken out before the first pitch.
Decibel levels usually saved for late in the game were reached before the first inning.
The lovefest for Jacob deGrom started from the opening warmups when a boisterous home crowd and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" welcomed him back to the Citi Field mound. The cheers returned after each of his 12 strikeouts.
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DeGrom took a perfect game into the sixth inning on Sunday in his second start of the season and the first in Queens in exactly 13 months. It was a vintage performance for the Mets' righty who missed a full calendar year with elbow and shoulder issues.
It topped off a glorious weekend for the Mets, who took four out of five games against their NL East rival Braves with a 5-2 victory.
DeGrom sent down the first 17 batters before walking Ehire Adrianza and getting chased from the game on Dansby Swanson's two-run home run into the bullpen in center.
Jake is back like he never even left. ?? pic.twitter.com/iv8qlcwZd4
His battle with fellow flamethrower Spencer Strider not only met expectations. It exceeded them.
The Mets (70-39) are now a season-high 31 games over .500. It's their highest total since finishing 32 games over in the 2006 season. They've padded their lead in the NL East to 6.5 games.
DeGrom set an MLB record in the process by passing Yu Darvish for the most strikeouts through 200 career games, with 1,523. He exited to a standing ovation after 76 pitches. Joely Rodriguez tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief and Edwin Diaz struck out the side in the ninth in picking up the save.
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The Mets gave deGrom an early lead by scoring four runs in the third inning. The top of the lineup started the rally with Brandon Nimmo beating out an infield single and Francisco Lindor reaching on a bloop single to left.
Pete Alonso took advantage with a two-run double that kicked off the third base bag and into left field. The fortunate bounce helped Alonso collect his 94th and 95th RBI of the season to extend an NL Lead.
"With Pete, I think sometimes we miss how good a hitter he is," manager Buck Showalter said. "That's why you're always looking for strength. It's his ability to fist a ball out over the infield on a pitch that most of us would be picking the splinters out of our hands."
Mark Canha drove in another two runs later in the inning with a double that split the gap in left center. Daniel Vogelbach motored around to score from first after a slight bobble from Braves outfielder Michael Harris II.
The Mets tacked on another run in the fifth when Jeff McNeil scampered home on Collin McHugh's wild pitch.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mets ace Jacob deGrom dominates Braves in long-awaited return to Citi Field