The Braves have won seven of their last ten, including three against the Mets.
The Atlanta Braves failed to win the series against the Miami Marlins this past weekend after a much-needed sweep of the New York Mets. With only a three-game buffer, the Braves are set to play the Mets yet again.
The Braves have a much better record at home than they do away. They are 22-15 at home and 13-26 away. The question is whether that will play a roll as they move the next series up north.
The Braves will be facing Paul Blackburn for the second time since last Wednesday. Blackburn has struggled so far this season. He has four appearances with two of them being starts. So far, he has a 6.92 ERA and a 1.692 WHIP. In his last start, which was against the Braves, he only lasted 3.2 innings while giving up three earned runs on one HR, and two walks with only two strikeouts.
Spencer Schwellenbach will be starting against the Mets for his second start in a row. In his last start he went 7.0 innings while giving up four earned runs on two HRs, six hits, and two walks. The positive is he accumulated eight strikeouts while continuing to show he can go deep into games. The Braves also ended up winning that game with late game heroics.
A fun side note from Schwellenbach is that his two walks last start tied for his most in a game this season (not including IBB). Schwellenbach has continued his insane rate of 5.75 strikeouts per walk issued.
Schwellenbach’s walk rate has been excellent. His rate is in best 4.0 percent of MLB. His ERA of 3.26 ERA is 26.0 percent better than the league average. He has had a bit of luck in the ERA department. His expected ERA (xERA) is higher at 3.63, but is still in the best 39.0 percent of MLB. He has been aided by some Batting Average of Balls In Play (BABIP) with a .267 this season. Over time, the odds are he will give up hits at a higher rate.
Although there is a chance we may seem some regression from Schwellenbach, he has still been a solid force in the Braves’ rotation in a time of need with rotation arms dropping like flies.
Although the Braves lost two of three from the Marlins, they still have won seven of their last ten. The Mets are headed in the opposite direction, having lost eight of their last ten.
The Braves are looking for their fourth straight win against the Mets tonight. The first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. EDT.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 23, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Location: Citi Field, Flushing, NY
TV: FanDuel Sports South, Southeast
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan