Atlanta's owned first place in the NL East most of the summer, but this doubleheader nightcap comes two days after the exact team it's trying to shake off hung a 14-3 beating on them.
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Best BetBraves
Atlanta's still the better team on paper — first place in the NL East, a deeper overall roster, and a track record of grinding out wins even with half a rotation on the shelf. The 14-3 loss two nights ago stings, but one bad Monday against a last-place club doesn't erase a two-plus month body of work.
Braves
+First place in NL East, held all summer
+Won 3 of last 5 games overall
+Acuña Jr. reportedly nearing a return
−Just lost 14-3 to this same team
−Rotation down Strider, Schwellenbach, Smith-Shawver
−Multiple regulars out: Murphy, Suarez, Kim, Jimenez
Neither club has tabbed a starter for the back end of Wednesday's twin bill, so this one shapes up as a bullpen-forward sprint once first pitch hits at 7:10 PM ET. That's a real wrinkle given both staffs are already worn down from Wednesday, July 29's earlier game — whoever's got the freshest arms left by the seventh inning might matter more than whatever name eventually lands on the lineup card.
Atlanta's rotation has been picked apart for months — Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and AJ Smith-Shawver are all still on the 60-day injured list — so a TBD arm for game 2 isn't exactly a shock. The Mets, meanwhile, are trying to plug the biggest hole of their season after losing Juan Soto to a calf strain over the weekend, with rookie A.J. Ewing soaking up outfield reps in his place.
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ATL Braves
NYM Mets
None of that has knocked Atlanta off its perch atop the NL East, where it's held a comfortable cushion most of the summer. But form is form, and the Mets just spent Monday reminding everyone they can still do real damage against this specific opponent.
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Recent form.
Francisco Lindor was the whole story of that Monday blowout — 3 hits, 2 homers, a triple and 6 RBI in a game the Braves had no answer for. Atlanta's counter is that Ronald Acuña Jr. is reportedly working his way back into the mix this week, a return that could reshuffle a lineup that's had to grind out wins with a shorthanded pitching staff.
Atlanta Braves
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
New York Mets
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Whichever version of each roster shows up for the nightcap, the stakes are lopsided. Atlanta's playing to hold serve in a race it's controlled for months; the Mets are playing spoiler while they figure out life without their $765 million left fielder for the next few weeks. That gap should show up somewhere in this one, even if the second game of a doubleheader has a way of getting weird.
