Braves ready for 4-game series with the struggling New York Mets

Atlanta recently completed an amazing series sweep of the Diamondbacks and now turns their focus to a bitter division opponent.

The Atlanta Braves’ opening home series of the 2024 season evoked a wide spectrum of feelings in fans. This series featured everything: starting pitching problems, injury news, and late-inning comebacks.

It was expected to be a terrific series because all six games between the Braves and Diamondbacks in 2023 were entertaining. That surely carried over to this weekend. Spencer Strider began the first game, and the Diamondbacks were all over him. Strider labored with command and velocity for four innings, and when word spread of the Atlanta ace’s elbow injury, things seemed ominous.

In game two of the series, Max Fried had a worse first inning than Strider. The Diamondbacks tagged him for six runs, and Atlanta found itself in a big hole.

In those scenarios, the only thing left to do is chip away at the advantage one run at a time and hope pitching can keep the deficit in check. Fortunately, the Braves offense is extremely resilient and relentless. They were able to recover and win the first two games of the season, demonstrating why they are the most feared offensive in baseball.

They continued this on Sunday, sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a hard-fought series, but fortunately, the Braves won.

Now, Atlanta must focus on a four-game series against one of their most despised division rivals. The New York Mets have not had a good start to the 2024 season, as they are 3-6 after the first full week.

However, as we all know, they enjoy playing the Braves as competitively as possible. It will undoubtedly be an entertaining series to watch.

After sweeping the Diamondbacks, the Braves will now renew their rivalry with the Mets for the first time in 2024.@treavorscales and @PeterMoylan recap the latest Atlanta win.@Xfinity | #HighSpeedRecap pic.twitter.com/JMI2Ru35yr

— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) April 8, 2024

Braves welcome the New York Mets to Atlanta for divisional matchup

It will be an exciting series because the Mets, while struggling, still have some outstanding players on their roster. However, practically every single bat in their lineup is batting.250 or worse. That is not a recipe for success.

Their pitching staff has been hampered by injuries, but they recently acquired a former Braves ace to fill the void. It should be an intriguing matchup.

Probable starters for Braves and Mets

Game one: Julio Teheran (0-0) vs Charlie Morton (1-0, 0.00 ERA), 7:20 PM EST

Teheran used to be the best pitcher in the Braves’ rotation, but after leaving Atlanta, his career took a downturn. He played for the Angels, Tigers, and Brewers but could never replicate his success in Atlanta.

He will return to Atlanta with a division foe and the unenviable task of facing the league’s most potent offense. Charlie Morton will battle him, hoping to capitalize on a strong season opening in cold Chicago. His curveball still has a terrific spin rate, and the command was excellent with the fastball. Hopefully, that will carry over to this start.

Game two: Adrian Houser (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs Reynaldo Lopez (0-0, 1.50 ERA), 7:20 PM EST

Houser, a former Brewer, was acquired by the Mets in the offseason. He had a tremendous year in 2021, with a 3.22 ERA, although he usually has an ERA above four. In 2023, he pitched 111.1 innings with a 4.12 ERA, 34 walks, and 96 strikeouts. His first start of the season was against the Tigers, when he allowed one run on three hits.

Reynaldo Lopez will face him in the second game of the series, and he will hope to be as effective as he was in his Braves debut. Lopez shined, allowing only one run on four hits, two walks, and five strikeouts over six innings. He’ll need to be a little more cautious with the Mets lineup, but his first start looked promising.

Game three: Jose Quintana (0-1, 2.61 ERA) vs TBA, 7:20 PM EST

Quintana hasn’t enjoyed his time with the Mets because he was injured for the majority of 2023. When he did pitch, he had a 3.57 ERA across 75.2 innings, with 24 walks and 60 strikeouts. In two starts in 2024, he has allowed three runs on eleven hits, six walks, and eight strikeouts.

He would have been opposed by Spencer Strider, but supporters were devastated to learn that Strider has a UCL issue. He was placed on the 15-day injured list, while Allan Winans was recalled on Sunday. However, this does not guarantee that he will be used right away.

Dylan Dodd would also be in line to start this day as well. However, Winans did start against the Mets twice in 2023 so he has some experience there. Atlanta will announce the starter for this game closer to time.

Game four: Luis Severino (0-1, 3.60 ERA) vs Max Fried (0-0, 18.00 ERA), 12:20 PM EST

The series finale between the Braves and the Mets may be intriguing. Luis Severino was once one of the top MLB pitchers, but he has suffered with his health in recent years. Severino finished 2023 with a 6.65 ERA in 89.1 innings with the Yankees. His first Mets start was against the Brewers, and he struggled, allowing three runs on 11 hits. However, his most recent start against the Reds was better, allowing one run on three hits.

He will face Max Fried, who will want to get out of the first inning a little faster than his last two starts. Fried nearly did not make it out of the first inning against Arizona this past weekend. They tagged him for six runs in the first inning, but he was saved by the Atlanta attack. His early-season ERA is 18.00, and his command has been lacking. Hopefully, he’ll sort it out for the next start. The squad needs him to step up with Strider presumably out for the season.

It has been a strange season for the Braves as they certainly didn’t expect to lose Strider two starts into the season or see Max Fried struggle so badly. Luckily, there are bright spots like Chris Sale and Jarred Kelenic and, you know, the entire Braves offense. This should be a fun series regardless.