Series preview: Mets at Braves
When (TV): 1:10 p.m. Monday, 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, 12:10 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Probable starting pitchers:
Monday: Braves LH Paul Maholm (9-10, 4.37 ERA) vs. RH Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-2, 8.68)
Tuesday: Braves RH Kris Medlen (11-12, 3.58) vs. RH Carlos Torres (3-2, 2.77)
Wednesday: Braves Julio Teheran (11-7, 3.01) vs. RH Dillon Gee (10-9, 3.63)
About the Braves:
Batting: Chris Johnson's four-hit game Saturday moved him back into the NL batting lead at .331, ahead of Yadier Molina (.328) before Sunday. Johnson hit .298 for August, with four homers and 21 RBIs in 26 games…. Jordan Schafer was 1-for-12 with one walk and eight strikeouts in his past three games before Sunday…. Dan Uggla was 4-for-52 (.077) with no extra-base hits and two RBIs in his past 16 games before Sunday, and 2-for-11 with four walks and four strikeouts since a DL stint for LASIK eye surgery.
Pitching: Maholm is 0-4 with a 7.30 ERA in his past five starts, and 0-1 with a 3.97 ERA in two since returning from a DL stint (sprained left wrist). He allowed six hits and one run in six innings against Cleveland Wednesday and got no decision in a 3-2 win. Against the Mets, he's 3-1 with a 0.61 ERA in his past five games (four starts). He gave up nine hits and two runs in seven innings of a June 18 loss in his only start against them this season…. Medlen is 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 18 games (eight starts) vs. the Mets, and Teheran is 1-0 with a 3.05 ERA in four games (three starts).
Miscellaneous: After going 12-2 against the Mets in the last 14 games between the teams in 2012, the Braves are 8-8 against them this season. The Braves haven't had consecutive wins against the Mets in the last 12 games…. Andrelton Simmons has a .320 career average in 19 games against the Mets, with eight extra-base hits (two homers), nine RBIs, a .378 OBP and three strikeouts.
About the Mets:
Batting: Andrew Brown was 14-for-39 (.359) with three doubles, two homers and 11 RBIs in his past 14 games before Sunday night's series finale at Washington…. Omar Quintanilla was just 14-for-77 (.182) with three extra-base hits and 23 strikeouts in his past 24 games. He's 7-for-41 (.171) in his career vs. the Braves.
Pitching: Matsuzaka is 0-2 with an 8.68 ERA in two starts since signing with the Mets, after spending the rest of the season with the Indians' Triple-A team before being released per his request. The former Red Sox star gave up five runs and two homers in five innings against Detroit, then was charged with six hits, four runs and four walks in 4-1/3 innings against the Phillies. He's 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two starts vs. Atlanta, the last in 2009. The only Braves with more than four at-bats against him are B.J. Upton (3-for-18, HR) and Gerald Laird (3-for-8)…. Against the Braves, Torres has no decisions and a 0.68 ERA in six games (one start), and Gee is 3-4 with 3.12 ERA in 11 starts.
Miscellaneous: Braves won't face David Wright, who's on the DL with a strained hamstring, or Marlon Byrd and John Buck, who were traded to Pittsburgh last week. Buck had three homers and nine RBIs in 12 games against the Braves this season. Byrd hit .286 with 13 extra-base hits in August before he and Buck were traded. The Braves had also claimed Byrd, but the Pirates were ahead of them in the waiver-claim order.
By David O’Brien
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