Atlanta Braves Head to New York to Take on Mets

The Atlanta Braves make the trek to the Big Apple for the first time this season to take on their arch rival New York Mets.  Atlanta (8-4) will enter Tuesday night’s series opener 1.5 games back of NL East leading New York (10-3).  New York has won eight straight ball games since falling to Atlanta 5-3 on April 11th.  After taking two of three from Toronto at the Rogers Centre, the Braves look to keep pace with the red-hot Mets at Citi Field.

The pitching matchup in the opening contest will feature Trevor Cahill for the Braves and Jon Niese for the Mets.  Cahill looks to improve in his second start of the season, as he surrendered 4ER in 2.1 IP in his Braves debut.  After a rough tenure at hitter-friendly Chase Field with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the former 2010 AL All-Star with Oakland has to reestablish his dominant power sinker if he wants to keep his spot in the Atlanta rotation.  Hopefully Cahill will return to form under the tutelage of pitching coach Roger McDowell this spring.  If not, pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Matt Wisler are just a phone call away in nearby Gwinnett.

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Wednesday’s starters will be lefty Eric Stults for Atlanta and Braves nemesis Dillon Gee for New York.  Stults earned his roster spot with an impressive spring training but a 6.30 ERA in two Braves starts isn’t satisfactory for a number four starter.  He needs to pitch deep into Wednesday night’s game as a third consecutive five inning outing will not suffice.  The heavily worked, young bullpen of the Atlanta Braves has taken a significant hit with the 80 game PED suspension of LHP Andrew McKirahan.  I’ll survive.  Just give me some more Sugar Ray Marimon!

The aces will be out Thursday afternoon when Julio Teheran and Bartolo Colon take the hill for their respective teams.  I’m fully anticipating a great pitchers’ duel between the two ball clubs. We should see the Braves new small ball approach in full effect if Atlanta wants to defeat Colossus Colon.

As for the Atlanta offense, 1B Freddie Freeman has experienced a bit of an early power surge this season, slugging four home runs in the first twelve games.  While Freddie may not drive the ball out of cavernous Citi Field this week, the newest Mets Killer for the Atlanta Braves could potentially have his first 30 HR season in 2015.  RF Nick Markakis has been a singles hitting machine so far in the early part of the year, adequately protecting Freeman in the batting order.  SS Andrelton Simmons appears to have improved plate discipline as well.  Though we all love him for his flashy leather, wouldn’t it be nice to see him hit over .240 this year?

What perhaps is most surprising to the Braves early season success is that the team is scoring runs despite a lack of production coming from the top of the order.  Let’s hope OF Eric Young, Jr. and 2B Jace Peterson have a monstrous series in the Big Apple.  To me, there’s always pleasure in beating the Mets.  Here’s to hoping for a road sweep.  Go Braves! Chop, Chop, Chop!