Williams Perez (5-6, 5.42 ERA) and Noah Syndergaard (8-6, 3.31 ERA) take the hill in the third of a four-game series between the Atlanta Braves (56-86) and the New York Mets (80-61) at Turner Field. The Mets won the last game 5-1, continuing a five-game winning streak. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sep. 12 and can be seen on FSSO and WPIX.
Perez pitched 7.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering two runs and striking out seven in a 7-2 win over the Phillies. Juan Uribe (.255, 37 Rs, 13 HRs, 41 RBIs, 2 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 3 for 4 with one run and three RBIs. Syndergaard went 6.2 innings, surrendering four runs, striking out three and walking one in a 5-4 defeat to the Red Sox in his most recent start. Yoenis Cespedes (.299, 96 Rs, 33 HRs, 100 RBIs, 7 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Mets, going 3 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and three RBIs.
New York is favored (-186) over Atlanta and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at eight runs. The Braves have recorded an overall money line of -1,994 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 41-71. Atlanta has recorded a disappointing 1-7 record as the underdog over its last 10 games. The Braves lead the MLB in extra base hits with 331. Atlanta’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 6.5 runs per game, well above its season average of 4.8.
Over in the other dugout, New York is coming in with an overall money line of +1,338 and an impressive record of 61-24 as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 34-12 record against NL East rivals, and a 41-20 record SU. Offensively, they average 4.2 runs per game, which is good for fifth in the NL. New York’s pitching staff is one of the top in the NL, with a 3.44 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Mets are the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.18 for the season.
The Mets lead the season series, 8-6. The Braves have a 47-68 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Syndergaard takes the mound. Perez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Mets, who have a 62-48 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM, O/U – Over
Notes
Atlanta has won 35% (24-44) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, New York has won 59% (32-22) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Mets are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Braves have a 21-45 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Braves are 10-62. The Mets have a 16-50 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 30th in home runs, Atlanta has hit 87 this season. New York ranks ninth with 153 home runs.
Atlanta and New York both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Atlanta sits at 11th with 8.48 hits per game and New York ranks 12th with 8.41.
Ranking 30th, Atlanta is at the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.677). New York ranks in the bottom half at 20th with an OPS of .714.
The Mets are 38-44 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Braves are 22-63 when they allow at least one homer.
