Braves at Mets (Game 1)
The Atlanta Braves open the final week of the season with a doubleheader Monday at the New York Mets, and two games in one day suits Ender Inciarte just fine. The Braves center fielder, who is three hits away from becoming the first Atlanta player in 21 years to reach 200 in a season, collected eight hits in a doubleheader Aug. 30 at Philadelphia and followed up with five in a twinbill Sept. 6 against Texas.
Despite Inciarte’s strong season the Braves are going to finish below .500 for the fourth consecutive year, but Atlanta (70-84) won three of its past four games and has already surpassed last season’s win total of 68. The Mets have also struggled in 2017, dropping 10 of their past 13 contests, and enter the week a season-worst 23 games under .500. Rookie shortstop Amed Rosario is hitting .341 with eight runs scored in 13 games during September, after going 2-for-4 in New York’s 3-2 loss to Washington on Sunday. The Mets lead the season series 9-6 and have won five of the past six meetings.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Lucas Sims (2-5, 5.14 ERA) vs. Mets RH Chris Flexen (3-4, 7.13)
Sims makes his second consecutive start following a four-appearance stint in the bullpen, giving up one run on three hits with six strikeouts over five innings last Wednesday against Washington. The 23-year-old, who made his major-league debut Aug. 1, has a 5.27 ERA in eight starts with a .281 opponents’ batting average and eight homers allowed in 42 2/3 innings. Sims surrendered three runs in his four relief appearances, including two in two innings Sept. 16 against the Mets.
Flexen also made his major-league debut this summer and returns to the rotation after spending part of September in the bullpen. The 23-year-old allowed one run over five innings across four relief appearances after firing two scoreless, hitless frames Sept. 20 at Miami. Flexen has surrendered three runs or more in six of his eight starts, including a seven-run, nine-hit outing over four innings of a loss to Houston in his last start Sept. 3.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York OF Brandon Nimmo hit a first-inning homer Sunday, giving the Mets their franchise-record tying 218th longball this season.
2. Braves 1B Freddie Freeman, who missed Saturday’s game with an illness, went 1-for-4 in his return to the lineup Sunday.
3. Mets INF Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .379 in September with 11 extra-base hits (eight doubles, three homers) and 11 RBIs in 66 at-bats.