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The Atlanta Braves have at no point this season taken the National League East division lead from the New York Mets, but have been the hottest team in the National League since the start of June with a 40-16 record in that time and will continue their quest to overtake the Mets in Queens on Friday.
Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets (-125, 8.5)
Ian Anderson has been the Braves weak link in terms of starting pitchers ERA at 4.99, but enters Friday having allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts with the team winning four of those starts.
Anderson is backed up by a lineup that is right on par with the Mets with both registering between 4.7 and 4.8 runs per game with Atlanta leading the National League with more than 1.5 home runs per game but the Mets having the higher batting average and ranking third in the league in on-base percentage.
It will be up to Mets starter Taijuan Walker to slow down the Braves bats and enters with a career-low seven strikeouts per nine innings, but a 2.79 ERA with 0.6 home runs per nine innings allowed and having allowed three runs or fewer in 16 of his 18 starts this season and each of his last nine starts, with the Mets winning seven of those nine starts.
Over the past 45 days, the Braves bullpen is 18th in MLB in ERA at 3.84 with a fielding independent of 4.02 with both bullpens ranking in the top five for most home runs allowed per nine innings in that span, but the Mets bullpen having the better ERA at 3.54.
With Walker going at least 5.2 innings in all 11 of his starts since the beginning of June and Anderson having provided 5.2 innings or more in just one of his last seven starts, the Mets will be in better shape in the back half of Friday’s contest and increase their lead in the National League East.
The Play: Mets -125
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