New York @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 21, 2015 ) NY Mets 0, Atlanta 1

The New York Mets have not won the National League East title yet, but after rallying three times in three days to sweep the Washington Nationals, it feels like only a matter of time before New York clinches its first division crown since 2006. The Mets open a four-game road series against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday after three consecutive comeback victories at Washington opened a seven-game advantage in the East, and Yoenis Cespedes continues tearing up opposing pitching.

Cespedes hit the go-ahead homer in Wednesday’s 5-3 victory – his sixth in the past eight games – and the outfielder has 14 homers and 36 RBIs in 36 games with the Mets. New York’s offense has blasted 63 homers since Aug. 1, averaging 6.1 runs per contest as the Mets are 25-11 in that span. Bartolo Colon aims for his 14th victory in the opener as Atlanta’s Shelby Miller hopes to end his 20-start winless streak, a stretch in which Miller has posted a 3.46 ERA while going 0-12. The Braves won two of three at Philadelphia after dropping 19 of their previous 20 games, winning a series for the first time since Aug. 14-16 and pounding out a season-high 18 hits in Wednesday’s 8-1 rout.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Bartolo Colon (13-11, 4.18 ERA) vs. Braves RH Shelby Miller (5-13, 2.81)

The 42-year-old Colon gives up plenty of hits – he leads the National League with 190 hits allowed, and opponents are batting .281 against him – but the second-oldest player in the majors continues finding ways to win games. Since allowing seven runs on Aug. 21 at Colorado, Colon has fired 25 consecutive scoreless innings – including two victories and a one-inning relief stint in the final six days of August. Colon is 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts against the Braves this season, striking out 13 while issuing only two walks (both intentional) in 19 innings.

Perhaps nobody more epitomizes the frustration of Atlanta’s season than its only All-Star selection, as Miller seeks his first victory since he fell one out shy of no-hitting the Marlins on May 17. He has struggled in three of his past four starts – all losses – giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings Saturday at Washington in his last outing. Miller gave up three runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings in his only appearance against the Mets this season, a June 13 start in New York in which the Braves rallied to win in extra innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta 3B Hector Olivera went 3-for-5 Wednesday, finishing the three-game series against the Phillies 6-for-13 with a homer and four RBIs.

2. New York closer Jeurys Familia recorded his 39th save Wednesday and has allowed one run in his past 19 innings since July 31.

3. The Braves open a 10-game homestand looking to snap an eight-game home losing skid, their longest since 1988.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Braves 2