<img alt="MLB: AUG 22 Phillies at Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x8L60DgXKepRctqepzV0syRpsd4=/0x0:5309x3539/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73607551/2167172770.0.jpg">
Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves are going with three of their most reliable starters this season and one of them just happens to be a rookie. Go get ‘em! Today’s the day where it could be the start of something special or the end of a frustrating season for the Atlanta Braves. The results of the next three days are going to have a huge impact on who goes to the Postseason and who doesn’t and the Braves are certainly going to try to make sure that they’re the ones who are in possession of that final NL Wild Card spot instead of the New York Mets.
The man who they’re trusting in this huge spot is Spencer Schwellenbach. Schwellenbach might be a rookie but he’s definitely been one of the most consistent starters for the Braves so far this season. He’s entering into this game having delivered an impressive rookie season so far, as he’s produced an ERA- of 86 and a FIP- of 83 over the course of 109.2 innings pitched so far. The Braves will surely be hoping that Schwellenbach can also pick up where he left off against the Mets the last time he saw them. That was when Schwellenbach pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 11 Mets batters while only giving up two hits. That was quite easily Schwellenbach’s best start of his rookie season and it would be fantastic if he delivered something even close to that performance back on July 27.
Since that day when Schwellenbach and the Braves shut out the Mets, New York has only suffered three shutout losses since then and they all took place in August. indeed, the Mets have been very strong since the All-Star break and they’ve kicked it into gear here in September. Their strong performance down the stretch means that they’ve played themselves into a position where they now have a shot to make up for the disappointing ending to their 2022 season, which is when the Braves capped off a famous 10.5 game comeback in the division by picking up a sweep at home and gaining the tiebreaker edge on the Mets.
As we’ve mentioned earlier today, it’s totally understandable if you’re experiencing a bit of deja vu at the moment. The Braves are facing the Mets in a late-September series where a weather-threatened series could possibly decide who wins a Postseason race and who’s left to ponder “What if?” The main difference, however, is that one of these teams could be going home without participating in the Postseason at all. It’s all-but-certain for the Braves if they lose this series and the Mets will be in serious danger if they lose this series. either way, the loser will need to rely on some serious help out West in order to keep their hopes alive. Instead of leaving things up to chance or fate, both teams are very likely going to be giving it everything they’ve got in order to make sure that they come out of this series with the upper hand.
Just like the Braves are sending out their top arms for this series, the Mets are doing the same thing. Luis Severino is starting today for New York and he’s had himself a bit of a revival after ending his time across town with the Yankees on such a dour note. Severino has emerged as one of the top starters for the Mets this season and it appears that he’s once again figured things out with his fastball. He’s been very tough to deal with, as Baseball Savant suggests that he’s been doing a great job of avoiding hard contact and barrels while also inducing ground balls at a very high rate.
It’s worked out for Severino to the point where he’s having his best season since 2018 and is playing a big role in doing his part to keep the Mets in the Postseason race. While he did give up three runs in each of his past two starts against the Phillies, those starts were preceded by two great starts where he made it into the seventh inning in each of those starts and only gave up two runs across both of those starts. There might be some questions about whether or not he’s beginning to tire at this point in the season since he hasn’t pitched this many innings in a good long while (somewhat similar to the issue that Chris Sale may be having here in Atlanta) but if there was ever a time to reach back empty what little energy you may have left in the reserve tank, the time is now to use it up.
As has usually been the case whenever these two teams have dealt with each other over the years, the season series has been extremely tight. In fact, the Braves and the Mets are tied 5-5 with each other at the moment. Not only does the team that wins this series get the inside track on a Wild Card spot, they’ll also have a huge advantage with the tiebreaker as well. Therefore, it is absolutely massive for Spencer Schwellenbach and the Braves to give it all they’ve got in order to win this game. This is the biggest game of the season — at least until tomorrow night’s game, that is. Still, in order to get to that game with a full head of confidence, the Braves have to get the job done tonight. A lot of these players were here for 2022’s success and while that series has nothing to do with what’ll happen here in 2024, it’ll at least serve as an example of how this Braves team has the pieces that will give them the capability to pull off the series win against this Mets team. It all starts tonight, folks.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 24, 7:20 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
<img alt="MLB: AUG 22 Phillies at Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x8L60DgXKepRctqepzV0syRpsd4=/0x0:5309x3539/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73607551/2167172770.0.jpg">
Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Braves are going with three of their most reliable starters this season and one of them just happens to be a rookie. Go get ‘em! Today’s the day where it could be the start of something special or the end of a frustrating season for the Atlanta Braves. The results of the next three days are going to have a huge impact on who goes to the Postseason and who doesn’t and the Braves are certainly going to try to make sure that they’re the ones who are in possession of that final NL Wild Card spot instead of the New York Mets.
The man who they’re trusting in this huge spot is Spencer Schwellenbach. Schwellenbach might be a rookie but he’s definitely been one of the most consistent starters for the Braves so far this season. He’s entering into this game having delivered an impressive rookie season so far, as he’s produced an ERA- of 86 and a FIP- of 83 over the course of 109.2 innings pitched so far. The Braves will surely be hoping that Schwellenbach can also pick up where he left off against the Mets the last time he saw them. That was when Schwellenbach pitched seven shutout innings and struck out 11 Mets batters while only giving up two hits. That was quite easily Schwellenbach’s best start of his rookie season and it would be fantastic if he delivered something even close to that performance back on July 27.
Since that day when Schwellenbach and the Braves shut out the Mets, New York has only suffered three shutout losses since then and they all took place in August. indeed, the Mets have been very strong since the All-Star break and they’ve kicked it into gear here in September. Their strong performance down the stretch means that they’ve played themselves into a position where they now have a shot to make up for the disappointing ending to their 2022 season, which is when the Braves capped off a famous 10.5 game comeback in the division by picking up a sweep at home and gaining the tiebreaker edge on the Mets.
As we’ve mentioned earlier today, it’s totally understandable if you’re experiencing a bit of deja vu at the moment. The Braves are facing the Mets in a late-September series where a weather-threatened series could possibly decide who wins a Postseason race and who’s left to ponder “What if?” The main difference, however, is that one of these teams could be going home without participating in the Postseason at all. It’s all-but-certain for the Braves if they lose this series and the Mets will be in serious danger if they lose this series. either way, the loser will need to rely on some serious help out West in order to keep their hopes alive. Instead of leaving things up to chance or fate, both teams are very likely going to be giving it everything they’ve got in order to make sure that they come out of this series with the upper hand.
Just like the Braves are sending out their top arms for this series, the Mets are doing the same thing. Luis Severino is starting today for New York and he’s had himself a bit of a revival after ending his time across town with the Yankees on such a dour note. Severino has emerged as one of the top starters for the Mets this season and it appears that he’s once again figured things out with his fastball. He’s been very tough to deal with, as Baseball Savant suggests that he’s been doing a great job of avoiding hard contact and barrels while also inducing ground balls at a very high rate.
It’s worked out for Severino to the point where he’s having his best season since 2018 and is playing a big role in doing his part to keep the Mets in the Postseason race. While he did give up three runs in each of his past two starts against the Phillies, those starts were preceded by two great starts where he made it into the seventh inning in each of those starts and only gave up two runs across both of those starts. There might be some questions about whether or not he’s beginning to tire at this point in the season since he hasn’t pitched this many innings in a good long while (somewhat similar to the issue that Chris Sale may be having here in Atlanta) but if there was ever a time to reach back empty what little energy you may have left in the reserve tank, the time is now to use it up.
As has usually been the case whenever these two teams have dealt with each other over the years, the season series has been extremely tight. In fact, the Braves and the Mets are tied 5-5 with each other at the moment. Not only does the team that wins this series get the inside track on a Wild Card spot, they’ll also have a huge advantage with the tiebreaker as well. Therefore, it is absolutely massive for Spencer Schwellenbach and the Braves to give it all they’ve got in order to win this game. This is the biggest game of the season — at least until tomorrow night’s game, that is. Still, in order to get to that game with a full head of confidence, the Braves have to get the job done tonight. A lot of these players were here for 2022’s success and while that series has nothing to do with what’ll happen here in 2024, it’ll at least serve as an example of how this Braves team has the pieces that will give them the capability to pull off the series win against this Mets team. It all starts tonight, folks.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, September 24, 7:20 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan
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