Mets Set For Three-Game Set With NL Worst Atlanta Braves

Bartolo Colon (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The New York Mets begin a three game series in Atlanta with the Braves tonight with first pitch at 7:35 p.m. Here is the series information.

Friday: Robert Gsellman (2-1) vs John Gant (1-3) – 7:35 p.m.

Saturday: Seth Lugo (3-2) vs Julio Teheran (5-9) – 7:10 p.m.

Sunday: Bartolo Colon (13-7) vs Williams Perez (2-2) – 1:35 p.m.

The Mets come into the series riding a five-game winning streak giving them a 74-66 record. The Mets have also won 14 of their last 18 games making them one of the hottest teams in the MLB over that stretch. The Mets currently have sole possession of the second Wild Card spot and they are just a half game behind the Giants for the first spot and a half game in front of the Cardinals for the second spot.

The Braves on the other hand enter the series with a 54-86 record, which is the worst mark in the National League. The Braves had actually won six in a row, however they come into this weekend on a three-game losing streak after being swept by the Washington Nationals.

The Mets are 7-6 against the Braves this season and still have six games remaining with them including this weekend series. This is the first time since late June that these two teams met up. The Mets and Braves split that four-game series.

It is well documented by now that the Mets have the easiest schedule in the final few weeks of any contending Wild Card team. That schedule includes six games with Atlanta, seven with Philadelphia, three with Minnesota, three with Miami, and three with Washington. The Mets just have to take advantage that schedule and continue to win series like they have in the past couple of weeks.

Friday and Saturday night should be interesting because the Mets have Gsellman and Lugo pitching. Although those two have pitched really well so far, it is hard to say if they can keep it up. Hopefully pitching against a week Braves lineup can help their cause. Bartolo Colon on the other hand is expected to be solid as usual. Since he came to the Mets in 2014, Colon has 6-3 record against Atlanta.

Another storyline to watch for will be Julio Teheran who gets the start for the Braves on Saturday. In two starts against the Mets this season, Teheran is 1-0 including a complete game. In 17 innings pitching against the Mets, he has 14 strikeouts, has not allowed an earned, and has only allowed six hits. Teheran has dominated the Mets this year. But one little side note, Teheran is 1-5 at Turner Field this season.

The Mets have to take at least two games from this series. At this point in the season, they cannot afford dropping two or three games to a team like the Braves. But with the Mets as hot as anybody in the league right now, there is no reason why they should not come away with at least two wins in this series.