The Braves are trying to shake off last night’s loss to the Mets, and they’ll do it with a different look in the lineup as the two clubs meet again at Truist Park in Game 2.
This one brings together two offenses that have been among the better scoring groups since the All-Star break. Atlanta ranks seventh in runs scored in that span, while New York sits 10th. The numbers are close enough to matter, though the gap is still 16 runs - and if the Braves had 16 more, they’d be just two runs shy of the MLB lead.
New York’s offense has started to find a rhythm even without Juan Soto, so Martín Pérez and the Braves’ pitching staff will have to be sharp against Nolan McLean. McLean has put together a solid season, but his last few outings have been less steady.
He held Atlanta to two earned runs over six innings when the teams met in early July, but over his last three starts he has posted a 4.67 ERA. In that stretch, he’s allowed four home runs and carried a .370 BABIP.
There’s also the workload question. McLean has just 178.2 innings of MLB experience, and 130.2 of those have come this season. Atlanta may be catching him at a time when he needs to adjust or is simply showing the effects of a long year.
The Braves don’t have much of a track record against him. Michael Harris has the most at-bats against McLean with eight, but he’s only managed an OPS of .250.
Matt Olson also has eight at-bats and hasn’t gotten a hit. Ronald Acuña has a homer in three at-bats, while Drake Baldwin has posted a .900 OPS in five at-bats.
Atlanta’s lineup also has some notable shuffling against the right-hander. Ronald Acuña will DH, which moves Mike Yastrzemski into right field.
Jim Jarvis is back at shortstop, super utility man Dubón is in left field, and Baldwin stays in the leadoff spot. Walt Weiss also appears to be sticking with the pattern of keeping Albies out of the top four when facing a righty.
Pérez, meanwhile, has already seen this Mets lineup have success against him. New York tagged him for four earned runs in early July, though he’s been much better since then, turning in a 1.42 ERA and 3.35 FIP over 19.0 innings with 16 strikeouts. The downside has been a .184 BABIP in that span.
A few Mets hitters have done damage against Pérez over time. Francisco Lindor has 25 at-bats against him and owns an OPS of 1.213.
Bo Bichette has been even hotter in the matchup, hitting .467 with a 1.100 OPS in 15 at-bats. Marcus Semien has the largest sample by far, with 41 at-bats against Pérez and a .707 OPS.
First pitch is set for 7:15 EDT.
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