Surging Mets look to continue recent road success vs. Braves

Field Level Media

The New York Mets are eager to build on their surprising late-season road success.

The Mets, who play the middle contest of a three-game series at Atlanta on Tuesday, have won six of seven on their current road trip and are guaranteed to take the season series against the Braves for the first time since 2017.

New York topped the Braves 8-5 on Monday and have won seven of 11 against Atlanta.

“The coaches have kept with it and the players continue to work,” said New York’s Francisco Lindor, who homered, doubled and singled on Monday. “It’s baseball. Results will come and they will go and they will come back. Just a bunch of guys feeding on each other.”

The starting pitchers on Tuesday will be New York right-hander Nolan McLean (8-7, 3.51 ERA) and Atlanta left-hander Martin Perez (7-6, 3.14).

McLean won his latest start on Thursday against the Cleveland Guardians despite giving up five runs on a career-high-tying eight hits over five innings of a 13-6 victory. It was his first outing in the past nine in which he failed to complete at least six innings. Since the All-Star break, McLean has made four starts and gone 2-1 with a 3.47 ERA.

“He was in typical Nolan cruise control there for a while, spinning the ball really well, mixing really well,” New York interim manager Andy Green said after the Thursday game. “Then that fifth inning, I know he didn’t want to fall behind 3-0. Falling behind 3-0 to good hitters puts you in some tough spots.”

McLean yielded three runs on five hits in his final frame at Cleveland.

The 25-year-old rookie has made three career starts against the Braves, going 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA. This season, McLean has made two starts against the Braves, going 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. He won at Atlanta on July 5, allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings.

Perez has been outstanding since the All-Star break, pitching to a 1.42 ERA and allowing no runs in three of his four starts. In his latest outing, against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Perez threw three no-hit scoreless innings before rain delayed the game. He did not return. Perez has given up only one hit over 10 combined innings across his past two starts.

“Martin comes in on a non-roster spot in spring training and here we are, early August, he’s been one of our best starters,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You need starters like that to have good years and you need guys to step up. You have to have pleasant surprises, and we’ve had plenty of those, both on the position-player side and the pitching side.”

Perez has made 13 career appearances, nine starts, against New York, logging a 5-1 record with a 3.55 ERA. In three starts vs. the Mets this season, Perez is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA.

The Mets placed closer Devin Williams on the injured list Monday due to a right shoulder strain and used Kodai Senga in the ninth inning. Senga struck out two of the four batters he faced and earned his first career save.

Jonathan Pintaro, promoted from Triple-A Syracuse to fill Williams’ roster spot, permitted one run in one inning Monday night.