The New York Mets will look to finish their nine-game road trip on a high note Wednesday night when they try to win the rubber game of their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
New York is 6-2 on its three-city trip thanks to some big offensive numbers. The Mets have 50 runs in the six wins, twice scoring in double digits. But both of their losses have been by shutouts, including 4-0 to the Braves on Tuesday.
“We’re just enjoying the moment, staying in the present,” New York’s Francisco Lindor said.
The Braves have won nine of their last 10 games at home. Atlanta leads Philadelphia by 8 1/2 games atop the National League East and is two games behind Milwaukee for the best record in the league.
“The Mets came in here really, really hot,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I mean, scoring a lot of runs, so it’s a tough offense to hold down right now. Marty (Martin Perez, who threw six scoreless innings on Tuesday) did a great job.”
The Mets hold a 7-5 lead over Atlanta and are guaranteed their first season series win over the Braves since 2017. The NL East rivals will not play again this regular season.
The starting pitchers for the series finale will feature Atlanta right-hander Tyler Mahle (3-9, 4.83 ERA) vs. New York left-hander Zac Thornton (3-2, 2.52).
Mahle will make his second start for the Braves since he was acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline this month. He made his Atlanta debut against the New York Yankees in his team’s 3-2, 10-inning loss on Friday and did not receive a decision despite throwing six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
“He was good,” Weiss said afterward. “He’s got a good fastball. He can pitch with his fastball, and he does a good job with that. And he’s got the split, the cutter. He was in full command.”
Mahle has been trending upward over his last five starts, going 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA. He is fully healthy after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
Mahle has never beaten the Mets, going 0-3 with a 5.79 in three appearances. He faced them on April 3 and took the loss after allowing five runs in five innings of a 10-3 loss.
Thornton, meanwhile, continues to build on a strong rookie resume. In his last outing on Friday, he threw five scoreless innings in a 6-4 victory over Pittsburgh. It was his third scoreless start of the season.
“I knew I needed to get back in the zone early on with most every pitch, so I thought I did a good job of that,” Thornton said. “I just try to be the same guy, week-in and week-out, regardless of how I’m doing. I try to just not change too much and just kind of ride the wave.”
Thornton beat the Braves on July 27 after allowing three runs over 6 1/3 innings of a 14-3 New York win.
“We’ve got a ton of great energy in this clubhouse, guys that are hungry for it, guys that are hungry to win,” Thornton said. “I think we’re playing for each other, so it’s awesome to see.”
–Field Level Media
