Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets
RHP Julio Teheran (7-5, 3.35) vs. RHP Dillon Gee (7-7, 4.32)
Starting Lineup
- Eric Young, Jr. – LF
- Daniel Murphy – 2B
- David Wright – 3B
- Marlon Byrd – RF
- Ike Davis – 1B
- John Buck – C
- Kirk Nieuwenhuis – CF
- Omar Quintanilla – SS
- Dillon Gee – RHP
Game Notes
- RF Marlon Byrd continued his red-hot hitting Sunday by going 2-for-4 with a solo homer in the Mets’ 5-0 win over the Phillies. Byrd’s solo homer in the first inning—his team-leading 17th blast of the year—extended his streak of games with an RBI to five, one shy of his career high set from June 21-26, 2007. Byrd has seven RBIs in the streak and a team-high 56 overall. The two-hit game was the fourth in the last five games for Byrd and his ninth of the month overall. He is hitting .338 (24-for-71) with five homers and 16 RBIs in July, during which he has raised his overall average from .257 to .277, the highest it has been since April 7.
- RHP Dillon Gee will make his first start of the second half when he takes the mound Monday night for the Mets in the opener of a four-game series against the Braves at Citi Field. Gee last pitched on July 14, when he earned the win against the Pirates by allowing an unearned run over 6 2/3 innings in the Mets’ 4-2 victory. It was the seventh time in his last nine starts that Gee has allowed two runs or less, a stretch in which he’s gone 5-1 with a 2.67 ERA and lowered his overall ERA by more than two runs, from 6.34 to 4.32. Gee also has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 52/15 over his last nine starts. He is 3-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 10 career starts against the Braves and took a hard-luck complete-game loss in his last start against Atlanta on June 17, when he carried a three-hit shutout into the ninth but allowed a two-run, walk-off homer to Freddie Freeman to lose, 2-1.
- INF Justin Turner (left intercostal strain) went 0-for-2 with a walk for Class A Brooklyn on Saturday night and started again in Sunday afternoon’s game. Turner, who has been on the disabled list since June 18 (retroactive to June 17), will likely be activated Monday. He is hitting .266 with six RBIs in 94 at-bats this season for the Mets.
- RHP Matt Harvey had yet another sensational start Sunday afternoon, when he allowed three hits and no walks while striking out 10 over seven shutout innings in leading the Mets to a 5-0 win over the Phillies. Harvey’s fastball was regularly clocked at 98 mph and he also mixed in a slider that was clocked at 93 mph as well as mid-to-high 80s curveballs and changeups. Harvey, who improved to 8-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.23, didn’t allow a hit until Chase Utley‘s clean single with one out in the fourth, the sixth time in 20 starts this year he’s opened with at least three no-hit innings. It was also the fourth time he’s struck out at least 10 and walked none, but the first time he’s earned a win in such a start. He is just the 10th pitcher since 1916 to have at least four starts in a season with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks. Harvey’s 10 strikeouts extended his NL lead and tied him for the major league lead with the Rangers’ Yu Darvish.
- CF Juan Lagares had another big day at the plate Sunday, when he hit a three-run homer and finished 2-for-3 in the Mets’ 5-0 win over the Phillies. The three RBIs tied a career high for Lagares that he set previously against the Brewers on July 5. Lagares had multiple hits in all three games of the series and has at least two hits in five of the 11 games in which he’s played this month. He’s hitting .412 (14-for-34) with one homer and nine RBIs in July, during which he’s raised his overall average from .222 to .265.
- RHP Scott Atchison finished up the Mets’ 5-0 win over the Phillies on Sunday by allowing one hit and striking out two over two innings of work. It was just the second big-league appearance since May 13 for Atchison, who took two trips to the disabled list due to right elbow inflammation and a sore right groin. The two-inning stint marked the fifth time Atchison has thrown two innings this year and the first time since May 10. Atchison has a 3.98 ERA in 21 appearances for the Mets.
Game Preview
The Braves are coming to Queens! After taking a weekend series from the Phillies, the Mets look to continue on their current roll. In case you missed it, the Mets started out stumbling after the break quickly falling behind the Phillies 11-0. Then a certain OF who really should be traded for prospects (you could say he’s the word) smacked a 3 run homer and the Mets outscored the Phils 8-2 for the rest of the game. The Mets then took the next game 5-4 and then yesterday 5-0. On another note, there is rain in the forecast tonight, which is nothing new. Whether it is in Queens or or Atlanta, when these two teams play it always seems to be raining. Today Dillon Gee takes on Julio Teheran.
Dillon Gee is 7-7 with a 4.32 ERA this season while pitching 110.1 innings. He rebounded nicely from a 6.2 inning, 5 ER start with a 6.2 inning, 0 ER start. He has made one start against the Braves this year where he allowed 2 ER over 7.0 innings of work. The Braves have the following numbers against him:
Heyward 8-19, HR
Uggla 4-24, 2B, 3B
McCann 3-16, 2B
Freeman 5-16, 2B, HR
J Upton 4-15, 2B, HR
Johnson 3-7, 2B, HR
Gattis 0-6
The Mets will get another look at Julio Teheran who is 7-5 over 18 starts with a 3.35 ERA while pitching 113.0 innings of work. He is coming off of a rough start where he allowed 5 ER over 5.1 innings, and with the exception of the start of the season, he generally does well the game after he stumbles. Earlier this year against the Mets he allowed 1 ER over 6.2 innings. The Mets have the following numbers against Julio:
Wright 1-5, HR
Young 2-4
Buck 0-3
Byrd 0-2
Davis 1-2
Murphy 0-3
Lets Go Mets!
