Series Preview: Battle in Atlanta

The Mets (75-40) are taking on the Braves (70-46) in Atlanta for a four-game series. This is the Mets second of three series in a row against their division rival Braves and Phillies. The last time the Mets and Braves faced off at Citi Field, the Mets won four of five games. The Mets currently hold the advantage in the season series, as they have won every series against the Braves this season except for the first four-game set at Citi Field back in May, which the teams split.

The Mets are coming into this series having won two of three against the Phillies, and nine of eleven games on their last home stand. Prior to the series against Philadelphia, the Mets had scored at least five runs in their last nine games.  When the offense went quiet in games one and two against the Phillies, and it fell to the starting pitching to keep the Mets in the game. And boy did Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom deliver, pitching back-to-back great outings against the Phillies in games one and two. Chris Bassitt also pitched well in game three, and even got the benefit of a resurgent offense, as the Mets won 6-0. The Mets’ pitching staff has allowed two runs or less in their last eight games, which, according to the Athletics’ Tim Britton, is tied with the 1969 Mets as the longest streak in team history.

Of course, the Mets are a little banged up at the moment. Jeff McNeil is dealing with a cut on his right thumb that required stitches. Eduardo Escobar has some side soreness that is preventing him from swinging the bat right-handed. Both McNeil and Escobar seem to have avoided a stint on the injured list so far. Unfortunately, Luis Guillorme may not be as lucky. He injured his groin scoring from second on Sunday and, while we won’t know more until he undergoes testing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up on the injured list.

After losing to the Mets earlier this month, the Braves went on to sweep a two-game series against the Red Sox and a four-game series against the Marlins. The Braves have been getting a lot of production from two rookies that they called up from double A. Michael Harris II is manning center field and is currently mashing at the plate, with a .289/.328/.496 slash line and a 124 OPS+. Second baseman Vaughn Grissom only made his debut on August 10^th, but was instrumental in wins against the Red Sox and Marlins, and two of his five hits to start his major league career were two-run homers.

Like the Mets, the Braves are also dealing with some injuries. Ronald Acuña Jr. left early from the second game of the Braves’ double header against the Marlins on Saturday, and he did not play in the series finale on Sunday. Acuña has been dealing with soreness in his right knee since returning from the torn ACL he suffered last season, but he should be good to go to start the series against the Mets. Travis d’Arnaud injured his leg in a collision at the plate with Pete Alonso during the last Mets-Braves series. He has not appeared in a game since, but he was not placed on the injured list. As of August 12, d’Arnaud was still dealing with leg soreness, but he may be available to face the Mets on Monday. Finally, starter Max Fried suffered a concussion after banging his head on the ground while trying to make a play during the earlier series against the Mets. He will be eligible to come off the 7-day IL on Monday, but it is still not clear if he will be ready to return during this series.

Monday, August 15, 2022: RHP Carlos Carrasco (13-4, 3.76 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (6-4, 3.11 ERA)

Carrasco’s last outing was against Cincinnati. He went 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out nine. Carrasco also faced the Braves earlier this month at Citi Field. He lasted six innings in that outing, giving up three runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

Strider’s last outing was against the Mets. He only pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs. He commented after the game that he thought the Mets offense was lucky against him and that he was the victim of soft contact.

Tuesday, August 16, 2022: RHP Taijuan Walker (10-3, 3.43 ERA) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.26 ERA)

Walker’s last start was against the Reds. He gave up two runs in six innings of work. It was a nice bounce back from his previous start against the Braves, which was arguably his worst start of the season. He did not record an out in the second inning, and he was responsible for eight runs. Walker caught a spike in that game that seemed to derail his whole outing. Hopefully things go better for him this time around.

Morton was the only Braves starter who did not face the Mets during the series earlier this month. His most recent outing was against the Red Sox. He gave up five runs in six innings of work. He struck out seven but gave up three home runs. In his last outing against the Mets, back on July 13^th, Morton gave up five runs in five innings, striking out six and giving up three homers.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (8-2, 1.93 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (4-4, 3.80 ERA)

Scherzer’s last two outings, against the Braves and the Phillies, were great. He struck out 11 and gave up four hits in seven innings against the Braves, and was dominant from beginning to end in that game. His outing against the Phillies did not start out as well, as he worked his way in and out of trouble early on, including giving up a run in the first inning. But he buckled down and kept the team in the game, even though the Mets ultimately lost. His ultimately went seven innings, giving up six hits and striking out nine.

Odorizzi was traded from the Astros to the Braves at the trading deadline. He has made two starts for the Braves since being traded, one against the Mets and one against Miami. Both of those starts were short, as he went 4 2/3 innings against the Mets, and four innings against Miami. He also gave up two earned runs in both of his starts.

Thursday, August 18, 2022: RHP Jacob deGrom (2-0, 1.62 ERA) vs. TBD

DeGrom’s return to the Mets rotation has been exactly as advertised. He’s struck out double-digit batters in two of his three starts and has only given up three earned runs. The only issue with deGrom’s starts so far is that he’s still working up to longer outings. He has not pitched beyond the sixth inning yet, but hopefully we see him get there against the Braves on Thursday.

The Braves’ starter is TBD for this game because this is Fried’s spot in the rotation, and, as mentioned earlier, they are not sure if he will be available.

Prediction:

The pitching match-ups seem to favor the Mets, so here’s hoping they can win three of four in Atlanta.

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