Mets at Braves
Ozzie Albies was an All-Star last season despite pronounced struggles against right-handed pitching, but the Atlanta Braves' switch-hitting second baseman is showing why he is one of the top stars for the NL East leaders entering Tuesday’s home game against the New York Mets. Albies, who hit .231 against right-handers last season, went 3-for-5 in Monday’s 12-3 victory to lift his average from the left side to .262, helping Atlanta win for the 10th time in 11 games.
Albies’ big night – punctuated by his 11th homer of the season in the eighth inning to give him four RBIs on the night – highlighted yet another impressive offensive performance by the Braves, who are averaging 7.8 runs and 11 hits per game this month while improving to 13-3 in June after pounding New York pitching for 16 hits. The Mets lost for the 19th time in their past 24 road games to fall 8 ½ games behind Atlanta in the East standings, and enter Tuesday leading the NL in errors with 54. Second baseman Robinson Cano, in his second game back after leaving the injured list, hit his fourth homer of the season in the sixth to give him 2,513 career hits – tying Jimmy Ryan for 100th on the all-time list. Right fielder Michael Conforto extended his on-base streak to 13 games with a second-inning single, and is batting .272 during his eight-game hitting streak.
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (3-6, 3.38 ERA) vs. Braves RH Julio Teheran (5-4, 2.92)
deGrom is enduring a stretch similar to last season – when the NL Cy Young award winner suffered from insufficient run support – posting a 2.35 ERA with a .228 opponents batting average in his past five starts but going 0-1 in that stretch. The 30-year-old struck out eight and did not walk a batter in seven innings Friday against St. Louis, allowing two runs on six hits in a no-decision. deGrom has a 1.86 ERA in 18 career starts against Atlanta, his lowest mark against NL East competition, but took the loss April 14 against the Braves when he issued a season-high four walks and gave up three runs on five hits.
Teheran has not allowed more than one earned run in eight consecutive starts, and entered Monday second in the NL in hits per nine innings (6.3) and seventh in ERA. The 28-year-old has won his past two starts, giving up one earned run on five hits in 12 innings to defeat Miami and Pittsburgh, and has not surrendered more than four hits in any of his past eight outings. Teheran beat the Mets on April 14 at home, giving up one run on six hits in six innings to improve to 10-7 with a 2.35 ERA in 26 career games against New York.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta C Brian McCann went 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored Monday, and on the season the 35-year-old catcher – who hit .212 with seven homers in 63 games with Houston in 2018 – is batting .303 with seven homers in 37 games.
2. New York SS Amed Rosario snapped a 1-for-11 skid Monday with two hits and two runs scored.
3. Atlanta 3B Josh Donaldson, who fell a triple short of the cycle Saturday and Sunday, went 2-for-5 on Monday to raise his average to .375 during his seven-game hitting streak.