After a dismal June, July has started pretty well for the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves have started the month with three wins in four games, clinching at least a split of their four-game series against the New York Mets with a 14-3 demolition Saturday night.
But considering Atlanta lost six of its last seven series before this one, it’s safe to say just a split isn’t what anyone is looking for. It can clinch the series in Sunday afternoon’s series finale (12:30 p.m. EDT) at Truist Park.
The Braves turn
to Martín Pérez (6-5, 3.27 ERA), who has been amongst the team’s most consistent starters but is looking to bounce back from one of his worst starts of the season. The fact that he gave up a season-high-tying four runs on five hits over five innings speaks to how effective the southpaw has been this season for a rotation desperately in need of exactly that.
He gave up two homers in his last start, as many as he had allowed in his prior six starts combined.
Pérez faced the Mets less than a month ago, giving up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings in Atlanta’s 3-1 road win on June 13. In fact, he’ll put his perfect 5-0 record and 2.94 career ERA over 11 appearances (seven starts) against New York on the line Sunday afternoon.
The Mets will counter with rookie righty Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78) on the hill. Like Pérez, McLean has never lost to the Braves. However, he’s just 1-0 in two starts, winning his second career start against Atlanta last August.
The last time he faced them didn’t go as well as he gave up two runs on three hits, striking out six but also walking four as the Braves forced him to throw 93 pitches to get through nine innings in New York’s 7-5 win on June 12. That was his only June start that wasn’t six-plus innings.
Facing McLean could be a test of sorts for the resurgent power the Braves have discovered in this series, hitting nine total homers in the first two games. After McLean allowed six home runs in as many May starts, he allowed just two homers in five June starts.
This early Sunday start will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock instead of the usual TV and streaming places you can find the Braves. Matt Vasgersian will be on play-by-play, joined by Braves legend Andruw Jones — mere weeks before he’s set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame — and former Mets infielder Todd Zeile as color commentators.
