Series Preview: Slumping Mets Look for Spark Against Braves

Just when things appeared to be on the up, another gut punch appeared. The New York Mets (67-60) failed to build on their series victory over the Seattle Mariners, losing two of three against the last-place Washington Nationals. Underwhelming performances from both Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea played a large role in the club’s losses on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Entering the weekend, the Mets are now a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for the last Wild Card spot in the National League.

Next up is the Atlanta Braves (58-69), who happen to be red-hot with eight wins over their last 10 games. The Braves are scoring 5.37 runs per game in August, which ranks third in all of baseball. Don’t be fooled by Atlanta being 11 games below .500: this will be a tough series.

Let’s take a look at some notes ahead of the three pitching matchups.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

• Friday: Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72 ERA): McLean passed every test that he encountered last Saturday against the Mariners. He was able to escape trouble a handful of times in his big league debut, throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings. McLean’s off-speed pitches garnered a lot of attention in the buildup. His curveball and his sweeper lived up to the hype, with five of his eight strikeouts coming on those two offerings. Wentz has bounced around this season, as Atlanta is now his third stop of the year. Both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Minnesota Twins used him out of the bullpen, but with a need for starting pitching, the Braves have used Wentz in their rotation. In six starts for Atlanta, he is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
• Saturday: Clay Holmes (10-6, 3.64 ERA) vs. Cal Quantrill (4-10, 5.50 ERA): While he didn’t earn a quality start against the Mariners in Williamsport, Holmes threw the ball really well. He went five innings, allowing one run, five hits and four strikeouts. Holmes is 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA in three starts against the Braves this season. Quantrill will make his debut for the Braves after they claimed him off waivers from the Marlins on Thursday. The former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres has not had a good season. His 5.50 ERA in 24 starts is well above his career 4.26 ERA. Quantrill allowed six runs on eight hits over four innings against the Mets in his first start of the season on March 31.
• Sunday: David Peterson (8-5, 3.18 ERA) vs. Bryce Elder (5-9, 6.29 ERA): Peterson continues to perform like the clear ace of the rotation. He seems to be the only starter capable of providing any level of consistent length. Peterson is coming off another outstanding start, providing eight innings of work while only allowing one run in Monday’s win over Washington. He is 3-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against the Braves. Going into the year, Elder was probably expected to fill in on occasion, but not much more than that. Injuries in the rotation have drastically changed his role at the big league level, however. Elder is in the middle of a rough stretch, pitching to a 7.01 ERA since the start of July. His only win this month came against the Mets back on August 14.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

Unfortunately, the story hasn’t changed all that much: the Mets are treading water. For months, it seemed like they were well on their way to being one of the National League’s best teams. Now, just being a part of the postseason is in serious question. Fans are waiting for the team to turn the corner, showcasing their talent in all areas. In order for that to come to fruition, it all starts and ends with the rotation. If things continue the way they are and the bullpen is asked to cover 12-15 outs with any starting pitcher besides Peterson, this season is not going to end well.

PREDICTION

It’s been well-documented that Atlanta has been a tough place to play for the Mets. Even after their heroics to end the regular season in 2024, I think that feeling still remains. With McLean and Peterson set to pitch this weekend, I am choosing optimism. Let’s see if they reward me for that feeling. I have the Mets taking two of three in Atlanta.

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