8/5/18 Game Preview: Atlanta Braves at New York Mets

Hey, the Mets won last night! Why not rejoice and double down with another Mets game against Atlanta? This time, it’s a matinee (1:10) start at Citi Field. It’s baseball card pack day at the ballpark sponsored by Topps. Maybe there will be a special edition of Baseball Cards From the Booth today in the eighth inning. (Although … I seriously hope not.)

How To Enjoy

Television Coverage: SNY has the call for the Sunday game as Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez take the mic. Ron Darling is probably doing a TBS game so perhaps Keith will bring Hadji to sit in Ronnie’s chair. FOX Southeast has the Braves telecast if you prefer to hear Joe Simpson complain about batting practice attire.

Radio Coverage: 710 WOR or ESPN Deportes 1050 here in New York, and  either 680 AM or 93.7 FM, or WYAY 106.7 on the Braves Radio Network. Maybe Don Sutton will complain about batting practice attire.

The Pitchers

Since the start of play on July 4th, Corey Oswalt has put up respectable numbers. He has a 3.60 ERA, and opponents are hitting .162 off of him. Opponents also have a .519 OPS against Oswalt since then.

Julio Teheran has been a terror against the Mets in his career, but his overall numbers this season are pedestrian (8-7, 4.46 ERA 0.5 WAR). Walks have hit him particularly hard: He has given up 21 in his last 38 innings and has a 5.45 ERA in that time despite hitters only batting .217 off him.

The Lineups

Here’s how we line up. #LGM

🔷🔶⚾️🔶🔷
Rosario – SS
McNeil – 2B
Flores – 1B
Conforto – LF
Bautista – RF
Jackson – CF
Reyes – 3B
Mesoraco – C
Oswalt – P pic.twitter.com/FTsoPABYTX

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 5, 2018

And for Atlanta:

Going for a series win today in New York! #ChopOn

Game Preview: https://t.co/VWHbPHDl7I pic.twitter.com/yIqrTK6sVa

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 5, 2018

Game Notes

• Anthony Swarzak is going back on the disabled list because he missed it so much (and because of right shoulder inflammation). Welcome back, Jacob Rhame.
• Teheran’s career numbers against the Mets: 9-6 with a 2.33 ERA, and at Citi Field they’re even better: 6-2 with a 2.14 ERA.
• Mets hitters against Teheran: Kevin Plawecki is 0-for-11 career. Jose Reyes is a career .207 against him (so of course, he’s in Sunday’s lineup). Jose Bautista is 1-for-10. And somehow, Robert Gsellman has ten at-bats against Teheran. (0-for-10 … not sure why this is relevant with Gsellman being a reliever now, but I honestly thought it was a mistake.)
• Austin Jackson is hitting .350 as a Met. But has already accumulated a defensive WAR of -0.3 in his first six games with New York (NL). That seems hard to do.
• I don’t know how the Mets did it in this miserable season, but they’re 8-8 on Sundays in the mess that is 2018.