Atlanta Braves at New York Mets preview: On the road again

After an incredibly strong homestand at Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves are back on the road on Monday, as they touch down in the Big Apple to take on the New York Mets. The Braves swept the Mets in dominant fashion last week in Atlanta, but after a loss in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team will be focused on beginning a new winning streak against the battered Mets.

New York will stand behind starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka in the opener, and the veteran right-hander was shelled to the tune of five earned runs in his last outing against the Braves. At 33 years old, the best years for Dice-K are clearly behind him, but he has been solid this season (3.72 ERA) and if he has his top arsenal, Atlanta could be in for a battle throughout the evening.

On the side of the Braves, Mike Minor will take the ball as he looks to bounce back from another subpar outing in his last start. As covered last week, there are a variety of opinions as to whether Minor has dropped off considerably from recent seasons, but there is no question that his peripherals indicate some negative luck this season, and the New York bats present an opportunity to right the ship.

Here is a look at the particulars for Monday:

Date: July 7, 2014

Start Time: 7:10 pm ET

TV Channel: SportSouth

Radio: 680 AM/106.7 FM (Local in Atlanta), Full list of Local Affiliates

Live Stream: MLB.tv (Click Here, $)

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