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The Braves will look to a division rival to help kick their offense back into gear.
After an unsavory West Coast road trip that saw the Braves’ bats largely kept in check, they return home to play a two-game set against a Mets team that is primarily hoping to avoid injuries.
Since neither the Braves nor the Nationals have capitalized on their mutually less-than-stellar play, there is still a tie for first in the National League East. With the Nats traveling to New York to play the Yankees, this could be a good chance for the Braves to reclaim the division lead.
Meanwhile, the Mets have endured a brutal stretch in which they have won only 17 of their last 50 games after an 11-1 start. They currently sit in fourth and limp into Atlanta after going 2-8 in their last 10 games.
The Braves will give the ball to Mike Foltynewicz to mow down the Mets, and he is as good of a bet as any to keep New York’s bats quiet. Over his last 6 starts, Folty is 3-2 with a 0.97 ERA / 2.32 FIP, while averaging 10.95 K/9. During his first 12 starts of 2018, Folty has already eclipsed his career-high mark in fWAR (currently 1.9). His candidacy as an NL All-Star, where he could potentially join several of his teammates who are leading the voting in the early stages, grows with each successful start.
After Jason Vargas was scratched from his start, Zack Wheeler will instead take the mound for New York. Wheeler comes into this game with a 2-4 record and 4.57 ERA / 3.77 FIP.
Tonight is the first game of a 14-game stretch against teams with losing records. With the season soon to shift to summer, and with off-days being few and far between, this is an important run of games. However, they can only play one at a time, and need to pounce on a brittle Mets team tonight to start this run on a good note.
Game Info
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Time: 7:35 pm EDT
Location: SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: ESPN, Fox Sports Southeast, MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM, WYAY 106.7, Braves Radio Network, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM