NEW YORK -- Atlanta Braves right-hander John Gant didn't have to collect any souvenirs Friday night from his first major league win. But a ball or lineup card wouldn't have been able to do justice to the particularly neat fashion in which Gant achieved a lifelong dream.

Gant, pitching against the New York Mets four years after they drafted him and 11 months after they traded him to the Braves, allowed just two hits over 6 2/3 innings to earn his first win in Atlanta's 5-1 victory over the Mets at Citi Field.

"I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to go out and do that," Gant said "It's awesome."

Not only did Gant beat the Mets for the milestone win, he did so pitching on the same mound where he worked out for the club prior to the 2011 draft.

"This is an awesome place to play, I enjoyed it," Gant said. "I threw a bullpen on that mound. This was a little more intense than that, being here in this situation."

The Mets selected Gant out of a Florida high school in the 21st round in 2011 and he went 20-19 with a 3.45 ERA prior to last July 24, when he was traded to the Braves, along with fellow pitching prospect Rob Whalen, in exchange for infielders Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe.

Gant was in the dugout with Binghamton, the Mets' Double-A Eastern League team during a game against Trenton when he got the news.

"Our manager came up to me in the second inning and said 'Hey, I've never really had to do this like this before, but you were just traded, so you need to go in and start packing up your stuff,'" Gant said.

The trade worked out well for the Mets, who went to the World Series with Johnson and Uribe. But it has paid dividends as well for Gant, who went 4-0 with a 1.99 ERA in seven starts for the Braves' Triple-A affiliate before making the major league Opening Day roster this season.

Gant, making his second career start, gave up a run in the first, when Curtis Granderson led off with a double and came around on a pair of groundouts. But Gant retired 18 of the next 20 batters following Granderson's hit and ended up allowing just the one run while walking two and striking out five. He threw 104 pitches, 69 for strikes.

"Pitching against the team that he was traded from, in their park -- he threw the ball great," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "Threw strikes, he was aggressive, threw more than one pitch for a strike, used both side of the plate. That's kind of what you look for."

As Gant finished up his postgame interviews, Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton, a Braves broadcaster, walked up and extended his hand.

"First of many," Sutton said. "Congratulations."

Who needs a game ball when a 324-game winner offers congratulations?

"I don't have any (mementoes)," Gant said. "I'm just going to remember it."

The Braves (21-46), who won their third straight game to extend their longest winning streak since a four-game run from April 15-19, took the lead in the third on back-to-back RBI doubles by Ender Inciarte and Freddie Freeman. Pierzynski and Nick Markakis had RBI singles in the fourth and fifth.

Chase d'Arnaud scored the Braves' final run in the eighth when he walked, went to second on a groundout by Pierzynski, took third on a single by Erick Aybar and raced home when Yoenis Cespedes misplayed the ball.

Freeman continued his torrid hitting by going 3-for-5 with an RBI double. He is batting .565 (13-for-23) over the last five games.

Cespedes had an RBI groundout in the first for the Mets while Granderson delivered two hits.

Matt Harvey took the loss for the Mets (36-30) after allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five. the walks were issued leading off the third and fifth and both runners (Erick Aybar and Mallex Smith) came around to score.

"Leadoff walks in general are not good for anybody," Harvey said. "They capitalized."

Harvey entered Friday with a 0.90 ERA in his previous three starts.

"We will continue to make sure he stays positive," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He's been pitching too good."

NOTES: Mets 3B Wilmer Flores, who left Thursday's game after being hit in the left hand by a pitch, was not in Friday's starting lineup but struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. ... Mets C Travis d'Arnaud (right rotator cuff strain) went 1-for-4 as the designated hitter Friday for Triple-A Las Vegas. D'Arnaud, who has been on the disabled list since April 26, is expected to be activated Tuesday. ... Braves 3B Adonis Garcia (ankle), who left Thursday's game, sat out Friday but should return at some point during the three-game series. ... Braves RHP Mike Foltynewicz (bone spurs in right elbow) threw off a mound Thursday and is scheduled to face batters this weekend.