10/3/21 Game Preview: New York Mets at Atlanta Braves

There is a lot of chaos on the final day of the baseball regular season but the New York Mets (77-84) won’t be a part of any of it. The Mets are playing out the string and lost to the Atlanta Braves (87-75) last night when a late rally fell short. The two teams have split the first two games of this series and the Mets will look to secure the rubber game this afternoon. First pitch for the season finale is scheduled for 3:20 p.m. at Truist Park.

Right-hander Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the start for the Mets and work one inning before being relieved by Trevor Williams. Syndergaard did well in his first appearance since 2019 on Tuesday, tossing a scoreless inning and striking out two batters against the Miami Marlins in his first start of the season. The Braves will counter with righty Charlie Morton (14-6, 3.39 ERA), who is getting his final tuneup ahead of the postseason. Morton dominated the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, allowing three hits over seven shutout innings to pick up his 14th win of the year.

Local Coverage:

Television: SNY

Radio: WCBS

New York Mets Lineup:

Updated lineup:

Nimmo – CF
Lindor – SS
Conforto – RF
Alonso – 1B
Smith – LF
Villar – 3B
Peraza – 2B
Mazeika – C
Syndergaard – RHP

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 3, 2021

Pre-Game Notes:

• Syndergaard is 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA in nine career starts against the Braves.
• Morton is 2-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four starts against the Mets this season.
• Javier Baez will not start today in the Mets’ final game of the year. Jose Peraza will start at second base in place of him and Luis Guillorme, who was scratched, and bat seventh.
• Patrick Mazeika will catch today and hit eighth.
• Jeff McNeil will get the day off today. Dominic Smith will start in left field and bat fifth.
• Freddie Freeman (10 for 22, 3 2B, 3B, HR, 6 RBI), Jorge Soler (3 for 4, 2B) and Dansby Swanson (8 for 18, 2B, RBI) have done well against Syndergaard in the past.
• Pete Alonso (2 for 6, 2B, RBI), Michael Conforto (3 for 8, 2B, HR, 2 RBI) and Smith (3 for 11, HR, 2 RBI) have good numbers against Morton.
• This is the Mets’ final game of the season at Truist Park. The Mets are 4-4 in Atlanta so far this season.
• This is the final game of the season series between the Mets and Braves. The Mets have gone 9-9 over their first 18 meetings with the Braves and can win the season series with a victory today.
• This is the Mets’ final road game of the season. The Mets have gone 35-45 on the road so far this season.