Mets are Hottest Team in MLB as They Face the Braves
Divisional bragging rights will be on the line tonight when the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves meet at SunTrust Park. The National League East leading Braves will face the hottest team in MLB, the Mets. Yes… The New York Mets. Atlanta leads the season series 6-4 and has won six of the past eight matchups. They took two of three in New York on June 28-30th.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNY (New York), FS Southeast (Atlanta); LINE: Braves -123; O/U: 9.5 Under -120.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (9-6, 4.20 ERA) vs. Braves LH Max Fried (13-4, 4.11)
The Mets have won 15 of their past 17 games. It has been a frantic stretch that vaulted them back into the National League wild card race. After winning a weekend series against the Nationals they will begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday. The first three games are against the division leading Atlanta Braves. Mets starting pitchers have a 2.66 ERA since the All-Star break. They have also been getting several players to step up offensively to help Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil. This streak has pulled New York within one game of playoff position.
Shortstop Amed Rosario is hitting .340 in his past 12 games. Third baseman/outfielder J.D. Davis has five homers while ripping a .392 average with a 1.263 OPS in his past 16 games. New York has improved from 46-55 after losing to San Diego on July 24th, to begin this week at 61-57. That is good enough for third place in the NL East.
The division-leading Braves split a four-game set at Miami over the weekend. Their road trip was considered as success after winning a series at Minnesota. The team maintained a 6-1/2-game lead over Washington and eight over the Mets in the division. Center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is only two stolen bases shy of a 30/30 season and has a good shot at 40/40 by the end of September. He and started the week leading the NL in steals with 28, hits with 145, and runs scored with 99. He keeps this up and he will sneak into the league MVP conversation. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is hitting .331 with a .944 OPS in 29 games since the All-Star break. He has 10 doubles, four triples and four homers for the Braves during that stretch.
This, That, and a Dart Throw
The Mets‘ Wheeler was rumored to be available at the trade deadline. He was not moved however, and the pending free agent has responded by not allowing a run over 15 innings in his two August starts. Wheeler pitched a season-high eight innings on Aug. 6th against Miami. He allowed eight hits and one walk. This was after firing seven innings of four-hit ball, along with seven strikeouts, on Aug. 1st against the White Sox. Wheeler is an Atlanta-area native. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts against the Braves this season. He has given up 16 hits with 12 strikeouts across 12 innings. RHP Edwin Diaz has given up at least a run in five of his past six appearances. He has a 11.12 ERA and four homers allowed in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up a two-run homer in the ninth inning Sunday.
The Braves had some concerns about Fried and his work load. He has pitched 120-1/3 innings this season, which is the heaviest workload of his young career. He has quieted those worries for now by getting back to early season form with a 3.32 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 21-2/3 innings in his past four starts. The baby-faced left struck out a season-best 10 over 5-1/3 innings Wednesday at Minnesota. He gave up three runs on six hits. He only had one walk and was able to win his fourth consecutive decision. Fried began the week second in the NL in victories. He is 1-0 in two starts against the Mets in 2019. Fried has a 4.09 ERA with 16 hits allowed over 11 innings. The Braves bullpen escaped Sunday after pitching three scoreless innings. The relievers have been awful. In the 29 games since the All-Star break the bullpen has a 6.90 ERA and 1.85 WHIP. They have allowed 19 homers as well.
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The Dart Throw: Braves 6, Mets 2
Mets vs Braves MLB Betting Odds & Trends
| New York Mets |
|---|
| NY Mets is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 games |
| NY Mets is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games |
| NY Mets is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road |
| NY Mets is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road |
| NY Mets is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta |
| NY Mets is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta |
| NY Mets is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta |
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta |
| Atlanta Braves |
|---|
| Atlanta is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games |
| Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta’s last 6 games |
| Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home |
| Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home |
| The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta’s last 9 games at home |
| Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing NY Mets |
| Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets |
| Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets |
| The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets |
Next up:
New York at Atlanta Wednesday, August 14
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