Braves at Mets
The New York Mets became the first National League team to reach the 10-win mark over the weekend, but it has come at a high cost. The Mets, who have lost two top-of-the-order hitters and a key reliever in the last week, attempt to remain undefeated at home and extend their winning streak to nine games on Tuesday when they open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
New York placed All-Star third baseman David Wright on the 15-day
disabled list Wednesday with a right hamstring injury and will be forced
to do the same with catcher Travis d'Arnaud (broken right hand) as well
as reliever Jerry Blevins (left forearm fracture) after the pair were
injured in Sunday’s 7-6 victory over the Miami Marlins. "It's not a good
day," manager Terry Collins told the Newark Star-Ledger. "It's a good
day we won. We'll take that away and we'll get billed for the next day.”
Highly-touted minor-league catcher Kevin Plawecki will try to replace
the Mets’ leading run producer (d'Arnaud) in his big-league debut
against the Braves, who took two of three from the Mets in Atlanta from
April 10-12. The Braves improved to 5-1 on the road Sunday, winning two
of three in Toronto after Jonny Gomes drove in four in a 5-2 victory.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsSouth (Atlanta), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Trevor Cahill (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs. Mets LH Jon Niese (1-0, 1.59)
Acquired
on April 2 from Arizona in exchange for minor-league outfielder Josh
Elander, Cahill struggled in his last Tuesday’s season debut – an 8-2
loss versus Miami. The 2010 All-Star recorded only seven outs,
surrendering four runs on five hits and three walks in his shortest
start since leaving a June 2013 outing after one inning due to a hip
bruise. Cahill faced the Mets only once last season, yielding a run on
three hits and three walks during a two-inning relief appearance in May.
Niese
worked in and out of trouble all game long in his last outing,
scattering nine hits and walking two in 6 1/3 innings before collecting
his first victory of the season in Wednesday’s 6-1 win over
Philadelphia. The 28-year-old Ohio native has been a bit lucky to give
up only one earned run in each of his two turns as he has recorded a
1.76 WHIP and allowed opponents to bat .314. Niese logged three starts
versus the Braves in 2014, going 1-2 with a 2.61 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1.
Minor-league RHP Hansel Robles will get the call to replace Blevins,
who did not allow a hit in seven appearances spanning five innings prior
to his injury.
2. Braves RF Nick Markakis, who went 2-for-13 in
his team’s first series against New York, reached base safely in 11 of
his 14 plate appearances against Toronto.
3. Plawecki batted .309 with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs in two minor-league stops last season.