<img alt="Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gK93Z-XgL23Aqj_t7-TrY0h4vXU=/0x0:5880x3920/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73610111/1252233273.0.jpg">
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
The entire region of North Georgia is currently under a National Weather Serivce-issued Tropical Storm Watch. Despite that, as of right now the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are still scheduled to play a game with massive implications on the NL Wild Card race.
If the Braves win this game, they will clinch the tiebreaker against the Mets for the season. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Arizona Diamondbacks as well, which means that this is an absolutely huge game for the Braves to have. It just so happens that they have the best starting pitcher in MLB here in 2024 starting for them tonight, as Chris Sale will be making the start in this crucial contest.
I don’t need to go over Chris Sale’s stats for the season so far but I will because it’s fun and it makes me happy. Sale leads MLB’s qualified pitchers in K/9 (11.40), HR/9 (0.46), HR/FB percentage (6.3 percent), ERA (2.98), FIP (2.08), ERA- (57), FIP- (53), xFIP- (66), and fWAR (6.4). He’s also top-10 in BB/9 and Left On Base percentage as well. No matter how you slice it, Chris Sale has been the best pitcher in baseball here in 2024 and he’s been a big reason as to why the Braves have stayed alive for as long as they have this season.
The Mets are certainly aware of what Sale is capable of, as well. While New York did eke out a 3-2 win over the Braves back on July 25, it certainly wasn’t Sale’s fault. Sale ended up making it two outs into the eighth inning before exiting that game and he finished with two runs allowed on just two hits (one of which was a homer from Francisco Lindor), oen walks and nine strikeouts. If Sale can pick up in Cobb County where he left off at Citi Field and also get some help from his lineup this time around then this could be a huge night for the Braves.
Meanwhile, the Mets will be counting on David Peterson to make sure that Sale doesn’t get any help from his lineup this time around. While Peterson hasn’t exactly had a breakout season or anything like that, he’s certainly having the best season of his career so far. He’s been perfectly solid for the Mets here in 2024 and that’s all they’ve really needed considering how their offense has performed here in the second half of the season.
With that being said, they’re going to need a bit more from him tonight if they want to have a shot at making this series even more interesting than it already is. Peterson has been riding the rollercoaster over his past four starts — he only gave up one run against the Red Sox back on September 1 but then followed that up by failing to get out of the fifth inning against the Blue Jays a week later. He rebounded against the Phillies on September 15 by making it into the eighth inning with just one run allowed but then the Phillies got their revenge five days later and tagged him for five runs (four earned). If this mini-pattern holds then Atlanta might be in some trouble tonight but if it doesn’t then this could be another opportunity for this Braves lineup to have another productive night.
It’s 2:00 pm E.T. in Atlanta and the status of this game is very much up in the air. The forecast has improved a bit since this morning but it’s still clear that we might be in for a long night if they do indeed try to get this game in from 7:20 pm onwards. With the way this season has gone for the Braves, it makes all the sense in the world that even Mother Nature herself is trying to throw a monkey wrench into things. With that being said, whether this game gets played tonight or at some point between now and Monday, I still expect the Braves to come out ready to get the job done and you should expect that of them as well. They got part one done last night in very impressive fashion. Now it’s time for part two.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 25, 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="Miami Marlins v Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gK93Z-XgL23Aqj_t7-TrY0h4vXU=/0x0:5880x3920/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73610111/1252233273.0.jpg">
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
The entire region of North Georgia is currently under a National Weather Serivce-issued Tropical Storm Watch. Despite that, as of right now the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are still scheduled to play a game with massive implications on the NL Wild Card race.
If the Braves win this game, they will clinch the tiebreaker against the Mets for the season. They also hold the tiebreaker over the Arizona Diamondbacks as well, which means that this is an absolutely huge game for the Braves to have. It just so happens that they have the best starting pitcher in MLB here in 2024 starting for them tonight, as Chris Sale will be making the start in this crucial contest.
I don’t need to go over Chris Sale’s stats for the season so far but I will because it’s fun and it makes me happy. Sale leads MLB’s qualified pitchers in K/9 (11.40), HR/9 (0.46), HR/FB percentage (6.3 percent), ERA (2.98), FIP (2.08), ERA- (57), FIP- (53), xFIP- (66), and fWAR (6.4). He’s also top-10 in BB/9 and Left On Base percentage as well. No matter how you slice it, Chris Sale has been the best pitcher in baseball here in 2024 and he’s been a big reason as to why the Braves have stayed alive for as long as they have this season.
The Mets are certainly aware of what Sale is capable of, as well. While New York did eke out a 3-2 win over the Braves back on July 25, it certainly wasn’t Sale’s fault. Sale ended up making it two outs into the eighth inning before exiting that game and he finished with two runs allowed on just two hits (one of which was a homer from Francisco Lindor), oen walks and nine strikeouts. If Sale can pick up in Cobb County where he left off at Citi Field and also get some help from his lineup this time around then this could be a huge night for the Braves.
Meanwhile, the Mets will be counting on David Peterson to make sure that Sale doesn’t get any help from his lineup this time around. While Peterson hasn’t exactly had a breakout season or anything like that, he’s certainly having the best season of his career so far. He’s been perfectly solid for the Mets here in 2024 and that’s all they’ve really needed considering how their offense has performed here in the second half of the season.
With that being said, they’re going to need a bit more from him tonight if they want to have a shot at making this series even more interesting than it already is. Peterson has been riding the rollercoaster over his past four starts — he only gave up one run against the Red Sox back on September 1 but then followed that up by failing to get out of the fifth inning against the Blue Jays a week later. He rebounded against the Phillies on September 15 by making it into the eighth inning with just one run allowed but then the Phillies got their revenge five days later and tagged him for five runs (four earned). If this mini-pattern holds then Atlanta might be in some trouble tonight but if it doesn’t then this could be another opportunity for this Braves lineup to have another productive night.
It’s 2:00 pm E.T. in Atlanta and the status of this game is very much up in the air. The forecast has improved a bit since this morning but it’s still clear that we might be in for a long night if they do indeed try to get this game in from 7:20 pm onwards. With the way this season has gone for the Braves, it makes all the sense in the world that even Mother Nature herself is trying to throw a monkey wrench into things. With that being said, whether this game gets played tonight or at some point between now and Monday, I still expect the Braves to come out ready to get the job done and you should expect that of them as well. They got part one done last night in very impressive fashion. Now it’s time for part two.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, September 25, 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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