New York @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 18, 2013 ) NY Mets 4, Atlanta 3

Thanks to a rainy weekend in early May, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves will see a lot of each other this week. The Mets and Braves play a day-night doubleheader Tuesday in Atlanta, part of a five-game series squeezed into four days, hours after Monday’s series opener was delayed nearly four hours by rain. The wait was worth it for Atlanta, which rallied to win on Freddie Freeman’s ninth-inning homer 2-1.

New York’s pitching future will be on full display in the twin bill, with emerging ace Matt Harvey starting the opener and top prospect Zach Wheeler making his major-league debut in the nightcap. The Mets are underway on their four-city, 11-game road trip which concludes with a makeup game at Colorado on June 27. Atlanta gives rookie Alex Wood his first major-league start in the opener and will send Paul Maholm to the mound for the second game.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), Fox Sports South (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (NR) vs. Atlanta LH Paul Maholm (7-5, 3.65)

The highly touted Wheeler will get at least two starts during his first trip to the majors, also going Monday against the White Sox in Chicago. He was 4-2 with a 3.93 ERA and struck out 73 in 68 2/3 innings at Triple-A Las Vegas, but allowed nine homers in his 13 starts. Wheeler was San Francisco’s first-round draft pick (sixth overall) in 2009, and the 23-year-old was rated the No. 11 prospect in the minors by Baseball America before the season.

Maholm has won once in his past four starts, losing at San Diego Wednesday after allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Being at Turner Field has been good for Maholm - he is 4-1 with a 1.64 ERA in five home starts. Maholm is 6-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against New York.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Braves have beaten New York in 16 of the past 24 meetings, dating back to the start of 2012.

2. Both teams have made a habit of rallying for dramatic victories. The Mets and Braves have five victories apiece when trailing entering the ninth inning, tied for the most in the majors.

3. Atlanta is 28-5 when scoring first this season.

PREDICTION: Braves 4, Mets 3