The New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves are in a tight race for the top spot in the National League East division. That’s only one of the reasons why their upcoming three-game series at Truist Park in Atlanta is a must-watch for baseball fans – and bettors as well. Check out our preview of this Mets vs. Braves 2022 MLB regular-season matchup.
Who better for the Mets to send to the mound for a game against the biggest threat to their hold of the top spot in the NL East than Max Scherzer, who gets the nod for Monday’s contest. Scherzer is aging like fine wine, as the 37-year-old ace is carrying a 5-1 record with a 2.26 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. He has not allowed more than an earned run in any of his three recent starts. In his most recent mound appearance, Scherzer sizzled with 11 strikeouts and zero earned runs on 2 hits, albeit in a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on July 5. Still, that’s the kind of performance the Mets have come to expect every time from Mad Max, who will look to deliver anew. Hoping to supply Scherzer with better run support this time around are the likes of Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil, who are leading the Mets this season in terms of OPS. Starling Marte is a question mark after suffering a groin injury last Saturday.
The Braves also have full confidence in the pitcher they’d be starting to counter Scherzer. We are talking about another Max here in the form of 28-year-old Max Fried, who is 2-0 in two starts, so far this month. Fried has allowed only an earned run on 10 hits across 13.0 innings in his last two starts. Moreover, the Braves are 9-0 in Fried’s last nine starts, so there’s no stopping Atlanta from believing he would be able to nail another victory for the team. Fried has already tamed the Mets earlier this season, tossing 6.0 innings of 2-run ball with 6 strikeouts in a 5-2 road win in Queens back in May. Atlanta’s offense isn’t too shabby either. With Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson, Matt Olson, and rookie sensation Michael Harris, the Braves are constantly a threat to explode at the plate. Braves starters are top five in the majors in terms of run support per 9 innings.
