The Atlanta Braves have found their summer stride and their offensive appears to be in sync for the time being. The Arizona Diamondbacks managed to snap the Braves nine game win streak, but a matchup against the New York Mets could be what the team needs to get back on track. Preparing to face the inconsistent Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Braves are looking to have some success at Citi Field.
The Braves struggled on Sunday. They had no extra base hits after the seven of their 14 hits went for extras on Saturday. BJ Upton ended his 11-game hit streak by going 0-4 with three strike outs as the Braves fell 3-1 in the final game of the series. The Braves roadstand was success as the team and they hope to continue that on the road after winnings 14 of their last 21 on the road. That includes going 12 of 18 at Citi Field.
The Braves have hit well against Matsuzaka recently. The pitcher has struggled recently, giving up five runs for the second straight time in five innings of play. In four career starts against Atlanta, he has a 9.00 ERA last no more than five innings each outing. Freddie Freeman is 3 for 7 against the pitcher along with Andrelton Simmons.
The Mets have won three of their last 11 games. They will face Mike Minor who is struggling recently. He is 0-3 with a 5.21 ERA in eight outings since his last win on May 19. His ERA is the worst on the team right now. Against the Mets he is 4-2 with a 5.14 ERA in 10 starts. The Mets have not impressed against Minor, but right now players like Eric Campbell have a seven-game hit streak going on and he could make an impact.
The Braves bullpen has come up big in recent weeks which could help with Minor on the mound. They have yielded just four runs in the last 15 games, being a major factor in Atlanta's recent success and current No. 1 standing in the National League East rankings.
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