Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Funny how things work out. Here on April 21st, how many of you out there would have guessed the New York Mets for the second-best record in baseball, and the Atlanta Braves at #6? Okay, I see two hands… and I expect you’re both lying to me.
Both teams have been relying on pitching (Mets 7th in ERA, Braves 11th after slipping over the past week). At the same time, though, each club has been hacking out enough runs to get by. Mets are 7th in team WAR; Braves 13th (with 7 AL clubs scattered in the top 12). The Mets haven’t exactly blown anyone out yet: 6-1 was their biggest margin of victory, and aside from that plus a pair of 3-run wins, everything else has been a 1-or-2-run contest… even their losses. Their highest runs total (7… twice) has come against the Marlins… twice. But they also are have the worst pitching in the majors so far. Recall the braves racking up 12 against them in the first series of the year.
Nonetheless: this is shaping up to be a dangerous series for the Braves… one in which they could end up getting swept away if they can’t perhaps out-hit their own pitching woes… and that’s probably a tall order considering the matchups.
Let’s take a look. But first, here’s the schedule:
- 7:10 EDT TUE: Niese and Cahill
- 7:10 EDT WED: Gee and Stults
- 1:10 EDT THR: Colon and Teheran
Nice of them to schedule a getaway day game… even though the Mets are merely crossing town to play the Yankees while Atlanta travels about 100 miles down to Philadelphia. On the whole, I’d rather be there.