New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Prediction:
Due to rainy weather last week and the National League playoff picture dependent upon the games the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets could not play in Atlanta are being made up as a Monday doubleheader.
In one of the more bizarre series twists in baseball history, the game one starter in this series on Tuesday, Spencer Schwellenbach, will get the start in game two of this series, which is game one of Monday’s doubleheader.
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Schwellenbach allowed just one run in seven innings in that start and has pitched better than his season-long 3.47 ERA may indicate, posting a 3.38 fielding independent with 9.4 strikeouts and 1.8 walks per nine innings issued.
The Braves back Schwellenbach with a bullpen that entered Sunday with the league’s third-best ERA at 3.25 while the Mets 3.97 ERA in the bullpen ranks 16th.
The Mets entered Sunday seventh in the league in runs per game, averaging an average of 4.75 runs per game both overall and on the road while the Braves at 3.9 runs per game are averaging the fewest runs per game at home of any National League team.
Tylor Megill will get the start for the Mets in the first game of the doubleheader after making just five starts on the road in the regular season, posting a 4.81 ERA in those five starts, despite having allowed only two home runs in 24 1/3 innings on the road this season
The biggest issue for Megill is his command with having allowed 3.7 walks per nine innings this season, which makes him prone to not lending a lot of length and putting this in the hands of the bullpen.
Though the Braves offense has had its struggles this season, the team is averaging just under 4.5 runs per game in the month of September and since the All-Star Break, are third in the league in home runs.
With the Mets sixth in baseball in home runs since the All-Star Break and having already seen Schwellenbach pitch within the past seven days, their offense should have more success the second time around, leading to a higher scoring game than expected in game one of Monday’s doubleheader
The Play: Mets vs. Braves Over 7.5 Runs In Game 1
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