Atlanta’s Ian Anderson and New York’s David Peterson will have had a combined 11 starts between them when they face off in New York today. Anderson’s debut season with the Braves has been impressive, while Peterson’s respectable start will most likely earn him a spot in the 2021 rotation for the Mets.
The other big storyline is the Mets push for the final wildcard spot. The Mets have spent a majority of the season out of playoff contention, largely because of the pitching staff. A last season surge has placed the Mets just 1.5 games out of the eighth playoff position, with the first-place Braves, the first place Rays, and the Nationals on their schedule to finish the season. That being said, a good weekend could thrust them into that eighth spot currently occupied by the Phillies.
The Braves hold a 5-2 advantage head-to-head thus far in 2020, and look to continue that advantage starting Friday.
Impressive Anderson Looks to Silence Mets Bats
Ian Anderson’s rookie campaign has been a pleasant surprise for the Braves. Anderson has posted a 2.96 FIP and a 0.909 WHIP in his inaugural campaign. The rookie righty also has an 11.1 K/9 strikeout rate, and is coming off a seven-inning, one-hit performance against the Nationals. In that win, Anderson struck out nine and walked only three batters. The Mets will get their first look at the rookie today.
Freddie Freeman is making his case for NL MVP, having posted a 1.113 OPS this season to go along with his 11 home runs. Over the past seven games, Freeman has slashed a stout .478/.571/739/1.311 over the past seven games. Marcell Ozuna has a 1.006 OPS with nine home runs to lead the Braves road splits, while hitting lefties at a .351 clip.
Mets Look to Continue Late Season Roll Against Braves
The New York Mets enter crunch time just 1.5 games back in the NL Wildcard. Part of the problem for the Mets has been a lack of consistency among the pitching staff, and David Peterson’s inability to pitch deep into games has been a concern for the Mets. Recently, however, the Mets offense has caught fire, slashing .313/.384/.491 with eight home runs and a .385 BABIP over the past seven games. Brandon Nimmo (.448/.500/.875/1.315, 2 HR) and Jeff McNeil (.429/.520/.476/.996) have posted some of the best offensive numbers in the bigs over the past seven games. Michael Conforto has slashed .367/.457/.595 with a 1.051 OPS at home this season, and Dominic Smith has hit six home runs with a 1.083 OPS against right-handed pitching this season.
The key in this game will be the pitching. Rookie David Peterson is set to make his eighth start of the season, having posted a 4.91 FIP and a 1.309 WHIP this season. Walks have been an issue for Peterson, who has issued 4.7 BB/9. In his last start, Peterson took the loss despite giving up only two runs in five innings against the Blue Jays. On August 2nd, Peterson gave up three runs on five hits in six innings in a loss against the Braves.
Notable Trends
- New York: 4-2 in last six games against NL opponents
- New York: 6-1 last 7 during game 2 of a series
- New York: 4-1 last 5 vs. a right-handed starter.
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