MMO Game Thread: Mets vs. Braves, 7:10 PM

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, May 17, 2021 • 7:10 P.M. EST
Truist Park • Atlanta, Georgia
RHP Taijuan Walker (3-1, 2.20) vs. Max Fried (1-1, 6.55)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • WQBU 92.7 FM

Well, that was a rough weekend.

The Mets went to Tampa Bay with a seven-game winning streak. They left on a three-game losing streak and with several more injuries. Now, the Mets head to Atlanta to stop the slide. Atlanta and New York must be happy to face each other – they are both banged up, and if there was a time to face each other, it would be right now. So the question is, who’s depth is going to hold out in the end?

Monday is the day to make something positive happen for the Mets since Taijuan Walker is the probable starter and the rest of the series is currently undetermined.

Mets Lineup

Francisco Lindor — SS
Pete Alonso — 1B
Dominic Smith — LF
Kevin Pillar — RF
Jonathan Villar — 3B
Jose Peraza — 2B
Tomas Nido — C
Taijuan Walker — P
Johneshwy Fargas — CF

Braves Lineup

Ronald Acuna Jr. — RF
Freddie Freeman — 1B
Marcell Ozuna — LF
Ozzie Albies — 2B
Dansby Swanson — SS
Austin Riley — 3B
Guillermo Heredia — CF
Jeff Mathis — C
Max Fried — P

Walker has tossed 41 innings (seven starts). He’s the proud owner of a 2.20 ERA, 2.94 FIP, 1.02 WHIP and a 176 ERA+. He’s also second in the league in HR/9 at 0.22. In his last two starts, he has allowed tw0 runs (one earned) over 14.0 innings of work while striking out 12 batters. Despite playing in the AL East for half the season last year, he didn’t face Atlanta, but the Braves have the following numbers against him from previous years (and when their batters were with other teams):

Freddie Freeman 2-5, HR, K
Marcell Ozuna 1-4, 2B, 2 BB, K
Pablo Sandoval 2-6, 2B, BB
Ender Inciarte 1-6, 2B, 2 K
Jeff Mathis 0-2

The Mets’ bats will match up against Fried, who is set to make his sixth start of the season. In his first five starts (22.0 innings), he has a 6.55 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 1.73 WHIP and a 68 ERA+. He has been much better in the month of May, allowing two runs over 11 innings, which is good for a 1.64 ERA. He’ll face a Mets lineup with a lot of question marks. New York has the following numbers against the young right-hander: