Despite being a very good 55-36 since the start of the 2018 against the Mets, this team has been seen as the measuring stick for the Braves each of the last three years.
After the first two games of this latest three game tilt at Truist, it seems like the Braves are using the Mets to show the rest of MLB that they are still World Series favorites.
The Braves have taken the first two games of this series in impressive fashion, coming from behind both nights, and using stellar bullpen pitching to lock those leads down. Wednesday night saw the team chase Mets ace Max Scherzer after just 5 1/3rds innings, as he gave up 11 hits and five runs. Kirby Yates gave up the pen's first run in 17 consecutive innings.
Last night was also a big game for Michael Harris, mired in a season long slump at the plate. Harris bounced back in a major way, going 3-4 and only a triple away from the cycle. His 8th innings two-run homer was the eventual go-ahead blast that gave the Braves a 7-5 win.
This Braves team has been atop of the of the NL East standings for virtually all of its 61 games thus far in 2023. So why does this team all of the sudden look like a World Series contender? "You have to patchwork this and that. You don't get Iglesias for much of the season. You lose your starting shortstop. But last night, they put it all together in my opinion", John Fricke told Rusty Mansell on this morning's Steakhouse.
"You back from 4-1, win the game. You come back from 4-1, win the game. You beat Carrasco. You beat Scherzer." And now the Braves have a chance to go for the sweep tonight against top line starter in Justin Verlander, and put the Mets 8.5 games back of first place.
