New York Mets vs Atlanta Braves series preview

The Atlanta Braves return to Turner Field on Thursday to open a four-game set against the first-place New York Mets. The Mets are 31-19 since the season's midpoint and lead the NL East by a full seven games after their sweep of Washington earlier this week.

Conversely, the Braves have gone 14-37 in the second half and are just 10-27 since August 1. Atlanta did pull out a series win earlier this week taking two of three in Philadelphia to pull two games ahead of the Phillies for the worst record in the majors. Atlanta is 33-32 at home this season and has gone 6-6 in 12 games against the Mets.

This series will mark the return of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson to Turner Field for the first time since being traded to the Mets on July 24. That deal was the beginning of a sequence of events that seemed to turn around New York's season. Uribe has hit .200 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 35 games since the trade. Johnson is hitting .250 with five homers and 12 RBIs in 32 games with the Mets.

The Braves will send Shelby Miller to the mound in Game 1 of the series. Miller's winless streak is now at 20 despite allowing two earned runs or less in 20 of his 28 starts this season. Miller was tagged for six runs in just 4 1/3 innings thanks to some shoddy defense behind in his last start against Washington. He will be opposed by New York's Bartolo Colon who hasn't allowed a run in 25 straight innings.

Manny Banuelos was scratched from Friday's scheduled start due to a sore elbow and the Braves have yet to announce who will start in his place. All signs seem to point to rookie Matt Wisler getting the start. The Mets will send prized prospect Steven Martz to the mound who is 2-0 in three starts this season.

Williams Perez and Ryan Weber will get the starts in the final two games of the series for Atlanta. Perez turned in a good outing last time out allowing two runs and six hits over seven innings in a win over the Phillies. Weber made his major league debut on Tuesday allowing four hits and two runs over six innings in a loss to the Phillies.

Probable Starters

Thursday, September 10

ATL: Shelby Miller

2015: 28 Starts, 5-13 W-L, 2.81 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 3.1 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

NYM: Bartolo Colon

2015: 27 Starts, 13-11 W-L, 4.18 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.1 BB/9, 6.7 K/9

Friday, September 11

ATL: TBA

NYM: Steven Matz

2015: 3 Starts, 2-0 W-L, 1.89 ERA, 4.35 FIP, 3.3 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

Saturday, September 12

ATL: Williams Perez

2015: 16 Starts, 5-6 W-L, 5.42 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 4.2 BB/9, 5.7 K/9

NYM: Noah Syndergaard

2015: 20 Starts, 8-6 W-L, 3.31 ERA, 3.39 FIP, 2.1 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

Sunday, September 13

ATL: Ryan Weber

2015: 1 Start, 0-1 W-L, 3.00 ERA, 2.98 FIP, 1.5 BB/9, 3.0 K/9

NYM: Jon Niese

2015: 27 Starts, 8-10 W-L, 4.36 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 2.9 BB/9, 6.0 K/9