Atlanta Braves at New York Mets preview: Mike Minor vs. Jon Niese

Andrelton Simmons and the defense carried the Atlanta Braves to a crucial win on Wednesday evening in New York, and in the series finale, the Mets will be looking to bounce back in an effort to steal the series. For Atlanta, this is yet another important game for a team with playoff aspirations, and on the bright side, there is a hot pitcher on the mound for the Braves.

The Pitching Match-up:

For the season, Mike Minor has some unsightly numbers. The left-hander’s 4.90 ERA over 20 starts and 119.1 innings won’t get anyone excited, but it is important to remember that Minor has a track record of success, and that production has begun to resurface in the recent past. Since being skipped in the starting rotation in early August, the 26-year-old Minor has allowed only six earned runs in 21.1 innings, and in his last outing against the Cincinnati Reds, he openly flirted with a no-hitter while generating 10 ground ball outs. Hopefully, the positive momentum will continue here.

Minor will be opposed by left-hander Jon Niese, and he has been one of the better pitchers on New York’s staff this season. In 148 innings, Niese has posted a 3.47 ERA, and while he has never been able to generate a great deal of strikeouts (just 106 for the season), Niese’s control is solid and he has been able to sustain success in the big leagues over the past five seasons. The right-handed power in the lineup could be crucial in producing some runs here, and it would benefit the Braves to give Minor a little bit of cushion.

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The Particulars:

Date: August 28, 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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The Predictions:

Before we offer our predictions for today, here’s a look at our records to this point:

• Carlos: 14-8
• Brad: 9-13

Carlos backed yet another winner on Wednesday in taking the Braves, while I dropped a game in the standings while foolishly siding with the Mets. In the series finale, we are back on the same page in picking Mike Minor to continue his recent surge.

Please feel free to sound off in the comments with your predictions for the game and feel free to rub it in our faces when you beat us on twitter (@ATLBeatBlog).