Game: New York Mets @ Atlanta Braves
Time: 7:20 p.m.
Odds: Mets +177, Braves -194
Total: 9.5
In the final game of a three-game series in Atlanta tonight, the Braves will send right-hander Charlie Morton to face left-hander Jose Quintana of the New York Mets. The Braves came back to win the second game 3-2 on Tuesday after the Mets had won Game 1 10-4 on Monday. It will be the National League East rivals’ final meeting of the year. Atlanta is 4-1 at home against the Mets and has a 9-3 advantage in the overall series.
Quintana (1-4, 3.03 ERA) has made quality starts in each of his last five trips to the mound. It is the longest such streak since Jacob deGrom had six straight quality starts for the Mets from August 13 to September 13, 2022. Quintana recorded his first victory as a Met in his most recent start last Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals. Over six-plus, he gave up two runs on three hits, four walks, and recorded five strikeouts.
In seven starts against the Braves in his career, Quintana is 2-4 with a 6.49 ERA. On August 12, he pitched six innings and gave up just one run, but he still lost to Atlanta in the second game of a doubleheader.
Over his previous two starts, Morton (12-10, 3.54) threw 11 straight innings without allowing a run. He pitched six scoreless frames in his most recent appearance on August 16 against the Mets. He surrendered just four hits and one walk while striking out 10. In 21 career games (20 starts), Morton is 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA against the Mets. This year, he faced New York three times and has a 1-1 record with a 4.80 ERA.
Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta keeps slamming the ball. Since May 1, he has homered once every 13.36 at-bats. He hit his 27th homer on Tuesday. In the 2020 COVID-shortened season, when he led the National League with 18 long balls, he homered once every 12.67 at-bats.
Eddie Rosario, who hit home run number 20 on Monday, joined the club of seven Braves who have hit at least 20 home runs. Ozuna, of course, is one of them as is NL MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. who has 28.. The 2019 Minnesota Twins, which included Rosario, were the only team to have eight players reach the 20-home run plateau.
Francisco Lindor of New York has a nine-game hitting streak that is a season high. Jeff McNeil has hit safely in seven straight games. In the series, McNeil is 5-for-9, raising his lifetime average against Atlanta to .346 (88-for-254).
On Tuesday, the Braves made a roster change. Jared Shuster, a left-hander who might get the start on Sunday in San Francisco, was called up in place of right-hander Allan Winans, who was sent back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Shuster is 4-2 with a 5.00 ERA in nine starts this season.
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