SERIES PREVIEW: AT METS
When (TV): 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO), 1:10 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO).
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Tuesday: Braves RH Brandon Beachy (2-0, 4.50) vs. RH Zack Wheeler (5-2, 3.43)
Wednesday: Braves LH Alex Wood (2-2, 2.61) vs. LH Jonathan Niese (5-6, 4.25)
About the Braves:
Batting: Jason Heyward hit .421 (16-for-39) with four doubles, three home runs and five RBIs on the recent nine-game homestand. Chris Johnson, who leads the National League with a .335 batting average, is on another seven-game hitting streak, while batting .310 (9-for-30) with two doubles and nine RBIs. Freddie Freeman is hitting .308 in 14 games against the Mets this season, with two doubles, four home runs, 10 RBIs and 10 runs.
Pitching: Beachy has made three consecutive quality starts since his seven-run outing in his first start back from Tommy John surgery. Beachy re-incorporated his slider in his last start against the Phillies, while pitching six innings and allowing two runs, both on a two-run homer by Domonic Brown in the sixth inning. Wood is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in two starts against the Mets, including his major league debut June 18 vs. Matt Harvey. He is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his other four starts.
Miscellaneous: The Braves have won seven consecutive series since splitting four games with the Mets at Citi Field when they watched Tim Hudson suffer a season-ending broken ankle. … The Braves are 7-7 against the Mets.
About the Mets:
Batting: Sprayberry High graduate Marlon Byrd has multi-hit games in six of his past eight games (batting .400, 14-for-35) and reached 20 homers with a home run on Monday. Catcher Travis d'Arnaud is hitless in his first three games in the majors since being called up with John Buck out on paternity leave, though he has drawn five walks. D'Arnaud was the top prospect from Toronto acquired in the R.A. Dickey deal.
Pitching: Wheeler, the Smyrna native, pitched six shutout innings in a 6-1 win at Turner Field in his major league debut the last time he faced the Braves. The Mets lost each of his next two starts, but since have won seven of his past eight. Wheeler is 7-1 with a 2.87 ERA since July 5 and he's coming off a career-high 12-strikeout game against the Padres.
Miscellaneous: The Mets just completed a 5-6 road trip, including a make-up game in Minnesota which they won Monday 6-1. The Mets lost three games on the road trip in the last at-bat.
Carroll Rogers
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