Braves at Mets
The Atlanta Braves have bolstered their roster with waiver-wire pickups this month due to injuries, and the newcomers continue to pay dividends entering Sunday’s series finale at the New York Mets. Francisco Cervelli had three hits with three RBIs in his Atlanta debut Saturday, while Billy Hamilton singled as a pinch-hitter and scored in Saturday’s 9-5 victory that extended the Braves winning streak to seven contests and maintained their six-game lead in the National League East.
Outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. extended his on-base streak to 24 games as his single in the eighth inning drove home Rafael Ortega to snap a 5-5 tie, and on the play Hamilton scampered home to give the Braves a two-run lead while improving to a 37-21 against NL East competition this season. The Mets have won 10 of their 13 series since the All-Star break, but two of those losses have come against the Braves as New York dropped the last two games after winning five straight contests. Mets first baseman Pete Alonso tied the franchise record with his 41st homer Saturday, matching the total set by Carlos Beltran in 2006 and Todd Hundley in 1996. New York catcher Wilson Ramos extended his hitting streak to 18 games, the longest active streak in the majors, and is hitting .408 in that span with six runs scored and 14 RBIs.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), WPIX (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Dallas Keuchel (4-5, 4.14 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (8-7, 4.18)
Keuchel signed with the Braves in early June and in 12 starts since making his debut, the results have been effective: six starts with two or fewer earned runs allowed, and seven starts of at least six innings pitched. The 31-year-old has rebounded from a miserable eight-run, 10-hit outing Aug. 8 at Miami, surrendering one run on 11 hits with 14 strikeouts over 12 innings across his past two outings. The first of those two starts marked his first career appearance against the Mets on Aug. 14, in which he gave up five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts across six shutout innings.
Matz has helped fuel the Mets second-half surge, pitching to a 2.81 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings across his past seven starts while allowing two earned runs or fewer six times in that span. The 28-year-old beat Cleveland in his last start Tuesday, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings of a 9-2 triumph. Matz allowed one run on two hits across six innings against the Braves in a no-decision Aug. 14, and is 5-1 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 career starts against Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York 2B Jeff McNeil, who was activated from the injured list before Saturday’s game, went 2-for-2 off the bench and is hitting .336 on the season.
2. Atlanta 3B Josh Donaldson hit his 30th homer of the season in the third inning Saturday, giving the Braves three players with 30-plus homers (Acuna, Freddie Freeman) for the first time since 2003.
3. Mets CF Juan Lagares went 2-for-4 with two runs scored Saturday, and is hitting .381 with nine runs scored in his past 11 games.