Atlanta @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2019 ) Atlanta 0, NY Mets 3

The final day of the regular season finds the Atlanta Braves tuning up for the National League Division Series with a matchup at the New York Mets, and both teams reach Game 162 after good showings Saturday. The Mets, who will miss the playoffs, celebrated as first baseman Pete Alonso set the big-league single-season rookie record with his 53rd homer in a 3-0 victory, while the Braves saw first baseman Freddie Freeman halt a slump with a hit and a walk in the loss.

Alonso’s third-inning solo blast provided the final piece of his likely NL Rookie of the Year campaign, and he enters the season finale with 120 RBIs, 102 runs scored and a .945 OPS. New York was 40-50 at the All-Star break but is 45-26 in the second half and has won 13 of 19 games since Sept. 8. The Braves have their own standout who will earn his share of rookie of the year votes, as right-hander Mike Soroka makes his 29th start of the season Sunday while aiming to deliver Atlanta its 98th victory of the season - the most by the club since the 2003 Braves won 101 games. Second baseman Ozzie Albies went 1-for-4 Saturday and enters the regular-season finale with a NL-leading 189 hits.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FS South (Atlanta), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Mike Soroka (13-4, 2.60 ERA) vs. Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (10-8, 4.30)

Soroka’s rookie season will continue into the NL Division Series and he likely will draw the starting assignment in Game 3 at St. Louis or Milwaukee, considering he is 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA and allowing opponents to bat .195 in 15 road starts. The 22-year-old has yielded two earned runs on six hits with nine strikeouts in 11 innings in his past two starts and enters his final regular-season outing third in the majors in ERA and 10th in WAR for pitchers (5.7). Soroka has won both his starts against the Mets this season, giving up five runs on 13 hits in 12 1/3 innings.

Syndergaard wraps up the season with his career-high 32nd start and enters Sunday having pitched 190 2/3 innings (another career high) but has limped toward the finish by allowing four earned runs in each of his past four starts. The 27-year-old has surrendered 10 hits in each of his previous two outings, no-decisions against Colorado and Miami in games the Mets won. Syndergaard, who is seven strikeouts shy of his first career 200-strikeout season, gave up three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings in his lone appearance in 2019 against Atlanta on June 30.

WALK-OFFS

1. Atlanta OF Nick Markakis sits one double shy of 500 for his career.

2. Saturday’s victory gave the Mets their 16th series victory in 23 series since the All-Star break.

3. Braves LHP Max Fried, who won 17 games as a starter, struck out five while allowing one hit and one walk in 3 2/3 innings in relief Saturday.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Mets 3