Jason Bay had three hits and drove in a run and the New York Mets won their third straight game by defeating the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon.

It marked the first time the Mets have won strung together a trio of consecutive wins this season and enabled the team to get back to the .500 mark at 9-9.

Former Brave Manny Acosta (1-0) earned the win in relief of starter Jon Niese, who turned in another solid pitching performance. It was Acosta’s first win in the big leagues since beating the Mets last July.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning to record his third save in as many nights.

The Mets broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring twice off Braves starter Jair Jurrjens (0-2). Jeff Francoeur had a double that scored Ike Davis and he later scored on a sacrifice fly by Henry Blanco.

Jurrjens had a prior 6-1 career record against the Mets and beat them all four times he faced them in 2009, but surrendered three runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Braves third baseman Chipper Jones left the game in the third inning as he was bothered by a sore hip.