Mets at Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. may not win the National League MVP award given strong seasons by Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger, but the Atlanta Braves outfielder continues his impressive summer surge entering Wednesday’s home game against the New York Mets. The 21-year-old Acuna slugged his 34th homer and became the first NL player this season to reach 100 runs scored in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory, finishing with two hits while throwing out a runner at home plate.
Acuna enters the middle contest of the three-game series hitting .299 with a National League-leading 28 steals for the first-place Braves, who pounded out 13 hits in maintaining their six-game lead over Washington in the NL East standings. The Mets lost for just the third time in their past 18 games, and may have lost second baseman Jeff McNeil - who is second in the NL in batting at .332 - in the ninth inning as he pulled up with a left leg injury after trying to beat out a ground ball. New York center fielder Juan Lagares, who entered the series with just four hits in his previous 23 at-bats and a .180 average for the season, matched a career high with four hits to go along with a run scored and a RBI. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso went 1-for-4 with a single and remains at 38 homers, one off the NL rookie record set by Bellinger in 2017 and three shy of the franchise record shared by Todd Hundley (1996) and Carlos Beltran (2006).
TV: 7:20 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Southeast (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (7-7, 4.49 ERA) vs. Braves LH Dallas Keuchel (3-5, 4.83)
Matz owned a 4.95 ERA through his first 16 outings but has pitched well since the All-Star break, posting a 3.38 ERA in his past five starts with 26 strikeouts and five walks across 29 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old beat Miami in his last start on Aug. 7, allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, shaking off a five-run, six-hit performance five days earlier at Pittsburgh. Matz is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts against Atlanta this season, giving up nine runs on 13 hits (including three homers) in 13 innings.
Keuchel looks to rebound from by far his worst start with Atlanta, during which he allowed eight runs on 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings Thursday at Miami and saw his ERA rise by nearly one full run. The 31-year-old began August by holding Cincinnati to three runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts over seven innings on Aug. 3, after ending July by allowing four earned runs in two of his final three starts. Keuchel, who is 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in four home starts, makes his first career appearance against the Mets.
WALK-OFFS
1. It was a tough night before the injury for McNeil, who finished 1-for-5 and struck out three times for just the second time this season.
2. Braves 3B Josh Donaldson snapped a 0-for-12 skid with three hits Tuesday.
3. Atlanta’s bullpen, which had pitched to a 6.55 ERA in August entering the series, allowed two runs in three innings Tuesday as RHP Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for the save.