Mets at Braves
The homer-happy New York Mets play the middle contest of a three-game set at the Atlanta Braves on Saturday looking to continue launching opposing pitches into the outfield seats. Right fielder Curtis Granderson blasted two homers – including a grand slam – in Friday’s series-opening 6-3 victory, giving New York 21 homers through the first seven contests of its current nine-game road trip.
The Mets have hit multiple homers in each of their past four games, 14 during that stretch, and Granderson finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored Friday as the Mets improved to 5-2 on the road swing. Atlanta has lost three in a row following a four-game winning streak, and the Braves offense is struggling to score. The Braves have totaled just seven runs in their past three games after recording 26 during their winning streak, and a taxed bullpen was forced to cover five innings Friday. Daniel Castro did extend his hitting streak to four games, and Adonis Garcia and A.J. Pierzynski each finished with three hits.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN South (Atlanta)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (1-1, 7.27 ERA) vs. Braves Jhoulys Chacin (0-0, 2.38)
Matz shook off a dreadful season debut in his last outing Sunday at Cleveland, firing seven shutout innings and striking out nine while allowing just three hits. The 24-year-old lasted just 1 2/3 innings in his first start on April 11 against Miami, surrendering seven earned runs. Matz, who made his major-league debut June 28 last season and went 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA in six starts, held the Braves to one run on six hits in five innings in a victory Sept. 11 in Atlanta.
Chacin has been great thus far for the Braves, striking out 14 with no walks and only nine hits allowed in 11 1/3 innings across two starts. He gave up three runs on four hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings Sunday against Miami, after firing six shutout frames with eight strikeouts in his Braves’ debut April 12 at Washington. The 28-year-old Chacin is 1-2 in five career appearances (four starts) against the Mets with a 2.88 ERA, but has not faced New York since 2014.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pierzynski’s big night brought him within one hit of reaching 2,000, and raised his season average from .200 to .256.
2. New York CF Yoenis Cespedes doubled Friday, extending his streak of games with at least one extra-base hit to a career-high seven.
3. Atlanta has hit just three homers all season (two on Opening Day), and has not hit one in its past 11 games.