Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the MLB regular season match.
The rescheduling of the last two games in the series between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets due to bad weather sets up a fantastic conclusion to the regular season. The Braves and Mets are direct rivals within the National League East Division. In back-to-back games with a 40-minute interval, they will determine who clinches the remaining wild-card spots and advances to the playoffs.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves look like confident favourites for the first game due to their choice of starting pitcher. Spencer Schwellenbach will take the mound from the first inning. He has allowed only one run over 14 innings against the Mets this season. Additionally, Schwellenbach has posted a 1.79 ERA in seven starts against playoff-bound opponents. The Braves need to win just one of the two games to advance to the playoffs, and it seems they are betting heavily on the opening game.
New York Mets
The Mets, on the other hand, have Chris Sale, a pitcher having a phenomenal season. He is slated to pitch in the second game, while the first will feature mid-tier pitcher Tylor Megill (4-5, 3.98 ERA) for the Mets. Furthermore, the visitors may lack freshness in the late innings. In their previous game against the Milwaukee Brewers (5:0) on Sunday, the team used their two best relievers — Edwin Diaz and Phil Maton. Maton recorded eight outs over a couple of days, so his functionality will be extremely limited.
Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets Prediction
The Atlanta Braves have won the last three head-to-head meetings with a combined score of 18-3. They need just one more win to not only secure a playoff spot but also win the season series. The Braves will aim to achieve this as soon as possible — we’re backing the hosts in the first game.
