The 86-71 Atlanta Braves are breathing down both the 87-70 New York Mets and the 87-71 Arizona Diamondbacks necks for a Wild Card spot. The Braves can gain some ground when they host the Mets tonight in the second game of their 3-game set, and they should do it. Last night the Braves knocked off the Mets, 5-1. Tonight they will have the best in the NL on the hill, southpaw Chris Sale. Sale is a shoo-in for the NL Cy Young because not only does he lead the league in wins, with 18, he also has the lowest ERA of 2.38 and the most K’s with 225. New York is expected to give the nod to another lefty, David Peterson, who has good numbers with a record of 9-3 and a 3.08 ERA but in his last turn against the Phillies, Peterson was lit up yielding 5 runs on 8 hits over 3-2/3 innings and Philadelphia routed New York 12-2. The Braves have won 3 straight against the Mets, outscoring them 18-3 over that span. They are 43-33 at Truist Park and have Chris Sale on the hill. Atlanta is the side to consider.
TONIGHT’S PICK: ATLANTA BRAVES