Mets vs Braves Preview: Week 67 Showdown

The Atlanta Braves sit at 50-34 and just grabbed a win to stay hot at home. The New York Mets? They're stuck at 36-51 and dropped their last game hard. That's a massive gap between these teams right now. Grant Holmes takes the mound for Atlanta with a 4.89 ERA. The Mets counter with Christian Scott pitching. Atlanta's playing at Truist Park where they've been tough all season at 25-15 at home. New York is struggling everywhere—they're 19-24 on the road. When one team is rolling and the other is reeling, the home team usually wins.

Both squads are dealing with major injuries heading into this matchup. The Mets are missing Luis Robert Jr. at center field with a back issue. Marcus Semien is out with a bad hip flexor strain. Jorge Polanco can't play second base right now either. Over in Atlanta, Ronald Acuña Jr. is sidelined with a hamstring problem. Sean Murphy the catcher is hurt too. Spencer Strider, one of the Braves' best pitchers, landed on the 60-day list. These absences matter huge when you're fighting for wins. Depth gets tested when stars go down.

Let's dig into the pitching matchup here. Grant Holmes for Atlanta has thrown plenty of games this season, though his 4.89 ERA shows he's been hit around some. The Braves trust him because he's part of their rotation depth. Christian Scott gets the ball for the Mets. New York's pitching staff was supposed to anchor their team with guys like Kodai Senga and Freddy Peralta. But injuries have wrecked that plan badly. With Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. down, their lineup can't generate enough runs anyway. Atlanta's got better arms AND better health right now.