New York @ Atlanta preview
Turner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2010 ) NY Mets 3, Atlanta 2
The Atlanta Braves haven't lost a home series in more than three months. They haven't been out of first place in the National League East since May 30.
They're in danger of seeing the first streak end tonight, and if it does, the second might not be far behind.
The Braves will take the field tonight at Turner Field needing a win against the New York Mets to run their streak to 14 consecutive home series without a loss, dating to April 20-22, when they dropped two of three to Philadelphia.
Speaking of the Phillies, Atlanta's lead over Philadelphia in the NL East has shrunk from seven games to two since July 22, and a former Braves fan favorite was responsible for the latest reduction.
Jeff Francoeur, who played in Atlanta from 2005 until he was traded to the Mets last season, hit a go-ahead solo home run off Braves closer Billy Wagner in the ninth inning Tuesday to give New York a 3-2 win.
After allowing a run in only one of 26 appearances from May 22 to July 20, Wagner has give up at least one run in three of his last six outings.
The Mets have swooned since the All-Star break too, but Tuesday's win prevented them from slipping below .500 for the first time since May 23. They're still 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta, though, and desperately need a win tonight to buoy their slim postseason hopes.
To that end, New York needs third baseman David Wright to solve his woes against Atlanta. After going 0-for-4 Tuesday, Wright is 3-for-34 against the Braves this season while hitting .319 against the rest of the league.
Tonight's scheduled starter, 24-year-old right-hander Kris Medlen, has been a versatile and valuable member of the Braves' pitching staff, bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation all season. He is 5-0 with a 3.84 ERA in 13 starts.
Medlen (6-2, 3.66 ERA) has made one start against the Mets this season, settling for a no-decision when he held them to two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings in Atlanta's 3-2 win May 18 at Turner Field. He also has made two relief appearances against them, tossing one scoreless inning each time.
Medlen will need the Braves to do a better job of converting scoring opportunities than they have recently. Over the past 11 games - seven of them losses - Atlanta is 18-for-108 (.167) with runners in scoring position.
As a result, the Braves have averaged 3.7 runs per game during that stretch, a trend 26-year-old right-hander Mike Pelfrey would like to continue when he takes the mound for the Mets.
Pelfrey (10-5, 4.10 ERA) was among the league's most dominant pitchers over the first month of the season - he was 4-0 with an 0.69 ERA in April - but he hasn't won since June 25, a span of six starts in which he is 0-3 with a 9.59 ERA.
Pelfrey's performance against the Braves epitomizes that shift. He threw five scoreless innings to beat Atlanta 1-0 on April 25 at Citi Field, and he held the Braves to two runs over 7 2/3 innings in a 3-2 win May 17 at Turner Field. But the Braves pounded him for 12 hits and four runs in four innings in a 4-0 win July 10 in New York.
In 13 career appearances against Atlanta, Pelfrey is 4-6 with a 5.43 ERA. Braves catcher Brian McCann is 15-for-34 (.441) with a homer and seven RBIs against him.