(SportsNetwork.com) - The Atlanta Braves no longer have sole possession of first place in the NL East because of a three-game losing streak and will try again to bounce back Wednesday against the New York Mets.

The Braves won nine in a row before their current slide and have dropped the first two tests of this four-game series at Citi Field.

In Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Mets, All-Star Julio Teheran was shaky in the start for Atlanta and allowed five runs and 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.

"It was just one of those starts," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "(He's) a young man, he's bound to have a bad one."

B.J. Upton and Jason Heyward had three hits apiece and Freddie Freeman drove in a pair of runs. Andrelton Simmons was 0-for-4 Tuesday and was riding a six- game, multi-hit streak.

Atlanta and Washington are even atop the NL East with the Nationals slightly ahead in percentage points.

Taking the mound for the Braves Wednesday will be Ervin Santana, who is 7-5 with a 3.93 earned run average. Santana has won back-to-back outings since a four-start winless drought (0-3) and tossed 7 1/3 innings of two-run ball in a 5-2 win over Arizona last Friday. He has six strikeouts and one walk.

Santana has walked just one batter in each of his past three trips to the mound and has won all three of his career appearances against the Mets. In nine road starts this season, the right-hander is 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA.

New York has won three in a row and four of five games after losing four straight, including a three-game sweep at the hands of these Braves at Turner Field last week.

Curtis Granderson homered for a second straight game and has gone deep four times since June 30 at Atlanta. Lucas Duda recorded three hits and an RBI, Daniel Murphy had two hits, two RBI and a pair of runs scored and Granderson, David Wright, Juan Lagares, Travis d'Arnaud and Ruben Tejada all ended with two hits.

Mets rookie starting pitcher Jacob deGrom benefited from the 18-hit barrage and struck out 11 batters across seven shutout innings. He allowed seven hits and did not walk a batter for his second career win (2-5).

"I wanted to go out and get the win," said deGrom. "I gave up three in the first inning last time and I wanted to put up zeroes tonight."

New York, winners in 10 of the last 15 games at Citi Field, posted the 4,000th win in franchise history and will also host the Miami Marlins on this 10-game homestand. The Mets have hit a home run in eight straight home games, and have gone deep 22 times in the last 20 games. The 22 home runs since June 17 are the most in the National League.

Dillon Gee hopes to see some balls leave the yard in his favor when he takes the mound for New York Wednesday. Gee last pitched on May 10 against Philadelphia and tossed six innings of three-run ball in a 5-4 loss for a no- decision. Gee then landed on the disabled list with a sore lat muscle.

Gee, a right-hander, is 3-1 with a 2.73 ERA this season and has made 12 career starts against the Braves, going 4-4 with a 2.95 ERA.

Atlanta is 6-5 against New York this season.