Braves at Mets
After becoming the second team in the National League to reach 25 wins away from home, the Atlanta Braves look to continue that success when they resume their three-game set at the New York Mets on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta improved to 5-3 on its 10-game road trip with a 6-2 victory in the series opener to boost its lead in the NL East to 5 1/2 games.
With shortstop Dansby Swanson not in the starting lineup, Johan Camargo came up big in his place by delivering a three-run double to salt away the 16th win in 21 games for the Braves. Rookie Austin Riley swatted a two-run homer and newly minted All-Star Freddie Freeman reached base four times as Atlanta beat New York for the fifth time in eight meetings. The bullpen woes continued for the free-falling Mets, who tumbled to their season-worst sixth consecutive loss to drop a dozen games behind Atlanta. The one bright spot for New York was Pete Alonso's 28th home run, tying Mark McGwire for the most in league history by a rookie before July 1.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (5-6, 3.94 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (5-6, 4.85)
Teheran was riding an eight-start unbeaten streak before he was hit hard in each of his last two turns, including four innings of six-run ball in a 10-2 home loss to the Mets on June 18. He also lasted only four innings last time out at the Chicago Cubs, giving up seven runs and nine hits, a stunning turn after he permitted four hits or fewer in each game during the unbeaten run. Alonso is 4-for-6 with a homer against Teheran, who beat the Mets with six innings of one-run ball in April.
Matz also will be trying to rebound from consecutive rocky outings, giving up seven runs and 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings at Philadelphia last time out and five runs over five innings in a loss to the Braves on June 19. He surrendered five homers in the two losses, which followed a stretch in which the the 28-year-old worked six innings in five straight starts. Matz beat the Braves with six innings of two-run ball in April, but must be wary of Freeman, who is 7-for-21 against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Alonso accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break.
2. Freeman has multiple hits in nine of his last 16 games.
3. The Mets will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their 1969 World Series title in a pregame ceremony Saturday.