2020-09-18 19:10:00 EDT
The Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets meet Friday in MLB action from Citi Field.
This will be the first installment of a three-game series between these teams this weekend. The Braves are coming off a set versus the Orioles. Atlanta won Tuesday but lost the other two games in that series. As for the Mets, they just played the Phillies. After splitting the first two games, on Thursday New York won the series with a 10-6 victory. Check back all season long for free MLB picks and MLB predictions at Sports Chat Place.
Atlanta boasts a few big hitters this season. Leading the way in homers is Adam Duvall with 15, alongside 32 RBI, 30 runs and a .255 batting average. Marcell Ozuna is right up there as well with 14 homers, 44 RBI, 29 runs and a .314 average. Both Freddie Freeman and Ronald Acuna are sitting at 11 homers as well.
For the Friday starting pitcher role, the Braves are sending out Max Fried straight off the injured list. Fried is 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA in nine starts this year, and has 47 strikeouts in 50.0 innings. Over his MLB career, Fried is 25-11 with a 3.50 ERA and 286 Ks in 275.1 innings.
Over on the Mets’ side, they were down 6-3 during the sixth inning in Thursday’s win, but were able to post seven runs over the final four frames. Dominic Smith led the way offensively on three hits, two runs and two RBI.
In the Friday starting job, the Mets will trot out Steven Matz. In six games this season (five starts), Matz is 0-4 with an 8.63 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24.0 innings. In his MLB career, Matz is 31-40 with a 4.24 ERA and 541 Ks in 573.0 innings.
The Braves are 4-1 in their last five games versus the National League East and 8-3 in their last 11 road games. Atlanta is 21-10 in their last 31 Friday games and 4-9 in their last 13 games following an off day.
Meanwhile, the Mets are 17-38 in their last 55 games as an underdog and 22-52 in their last 74 games as a home underdog. New York is 4-10 in their last 14 during game one of a series and the over is 9-2 in their last 11 during game one of a series.
Pick: Going Braves here. Fried has been on the injured list since September 5 due to muscle spasms in his back. In his last start he gave up a season-high three runs versus the Nationals and is otherwise firmly in the National League Cy Young race. As for Matz, this will be his first start since August 15. It should be an interesting matchup, but I think Atlanta has it behind Fried.
