Braves Look to Rebound After Stellar Matz Performance
The New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves will meet on Friday at SunTrust Park. They will partake in the second game of their four-game series. It should be another close one with the pitching and defense both these National League East contenders play.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SNY (New York), FS South (Atlanta); LINE: Braves -113; O/U: 9.5 Over -113.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (0-1, 10.24 ERA) vs. Braves RH Kyle Wright (0-1, 4.35)
The Braves enter Friday’s home contest against the Mets after a 6-3 loss in Thursday’s series opener. It was just their second defeat in the past nine games. The day was not a total loss. Earlier in the afternoon it produced a long-term victory for the franchise.
Only nine days after locking up star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to an eight-year contract extension, Atlanta inked second baseman Ozzie Albies. They signed the All-Star to a seven-year deal. The new contract will keep Albies with the Braves through at least 2026.
Albies finished 0-for-5 in the series opener, but is off to a solid start in his second full big-league season. He is hitting .327 with an .838 OPS and handling the leadoff spot against left-handed starters. It was an opposing infielder who stood out Thursday night.
New York shortstop Amed Rosario drove in a career-high four runs, by belting a three-run homer in the second and adding an RBI single in the sixth inning. Rosario hit .302 in his final 48 games last season. He has been hot and is 6-for-15 in his past four games.
The talented youngster is hitting .283 on the season with four extra-base hits and 10 RBI’s in 46 at-bats. Rookie first baseman Pete Alonso came came into Thursday tied for second in the National League in RBI’s and tied for third in homers. He slugged his sixth “creature” of the season in the seventh inning. Alonso finished with two RBI’s, giving him 17 in 12 games.
This, That, and a Dart Throw
The Mets starter, Zack Wheeler, faced Washington in his first two starts and struggled in both. He gave up four runs on six hits in five innings on March 31. Then he walked seven hitters while allowing seven runs over 4 2/3 innings this past Sunday.
Wheeler has walked eight hitters over 9 2/3 innings so far this young season. That is shocking as he only issued 55 walks in 182 1/3 innings last season. That put him en route to a 12-7 record and 3.31 ERA. Wheeler went 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.26 WHIP against the Braves in 2018. In 10 career starts he is 5-3 with a 3.21 ERA. Second baseman, Robinson Cano finished 0-for-5 in the series opener, and is 3-for-21 with five strikeouts in his past six games to drop his average to .180.
The Braves starter, Kyle Wright, struggled in cold conditions in his first start of the season in Philadelphia. He pitched much better last Saturday at home against Miami. The kid only gave up two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk over six innings.
Wheeler had walked five while allowing three runs in his season debut. He did throw 46 of his 77 pitches for strikes Saturday while allowing a pair of solo homers. Wright surrendered two runs in one inning of relief against the Mets as a rookie last season. Acuna slammed a 462-foot homer in the eighth Thursday. He finished a double shy of the cycle. Acuna is 7-for-11 with five runs scored and five RBIs in his last three games.
The Dart Throw: Braves 7, Mets 3
MLB Betting Odds & Trends
| New York Mets |
|---|
| NY Mets is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games |
| NY Mets is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games |
| The total has gone OVER in 9 of NY Mets’s last 11 games |
| NY Mets is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road |
| NY Mets is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road |
| The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets’s last 6 games on the road |
| NY Mets is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta |
| NY Mets is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta |
| NY Mets is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing Atlanta |
| The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Mets’s last 9 games when playing Atlanta |
| NY Mets is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Atlanta |
| Atlanta Braves |
|---|
| Atlanta is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games |
| Atlanta is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games |
| The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta’s last 6 games |
| Atlanta is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home |
| Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets |
| Atlanta is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing NY Mets |
| Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing NY Mets |
| The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 9 games when playing NY Mets |
| Atlanta is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against NY Mets |
Next up:
New York at Atlanta Saturday, April 13
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