Atlanta @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2014 ) NY Mets 1, Atlanta 3

The New York Mets got star third baseman David Wright back into the lineup this weekend, only to lose a member of their starting rotation. The Mets host the Atlanta Braves on Monday for the first of four games, but placed Jonathan Niese on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder. Atlanta’s Mike Minor and New York’s Daisuke Matsuzaka start the series opener, six days after the two pitchers met in Atlanta, a game the Braves won 5-4.

New York won two of three from Texas over the weekend after losing six of its previous seven, including dropping three in a row last week at Atlanta. The Braves were held to one run in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to Arizona after scoring four runs or more seven times during a nine-game winning streak. Atlanta leads the season series 6-3.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves LH Mike Minor (2-5, 4.73 ERA) vs. Mets RH Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-3, 3.72)

Minor has not won since beating the Brewers on May 19, and did not pitch particularly well against the Mets Tuesday. Staked to a 5-2 lead after four innings, Minor did not make it out of the fifth, finishing with four runs allowed on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Minor gave up two homers against New York and has surrendered eight long balls in his past eight games, going 0-3 with a 5.21 ERA.

Matsuzaka allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings while losing against the Braves last week. He’s given up 10 runs on 12 hits with 12 walks in 11 innings in his past two starts, and has lost his past three outings. Matsuzaka has made seven starts this season and 17 relief appearances.

WALK-OFFS

1. Wright is 1-for-8 with a double in his first two games back after missing seven games with a sore left rotator cuff.

2. Atlanta SS Andrelton Simmons is hitting .429 during his current seven-game hitting streak.

3. The Mets have hit 19 homers since June 17, tops in the National League during that stretch.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Braves 3