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N.Y. Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Gambling Preview & Free MLB Picks

MLB Lines – Mets vs Braves

The performance of the Atlanta Braves’s pitching rotation shows how unpredictable baseball performance can be. Injuries? What injuries?

Date/Time: Wednesday, April 9 2014, 7:10 pm EST
Venue: Turner Field, Atlanta GA
New York 2.30, Atlanta 1.67
Over/Under: 7
Pitching Match-up: Zack Wheeler (0-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Ervin Santana (debut)
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With key cogs in the starting five like Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen lost for the season, and with fellow starter Mike Minor on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis, everyone was worried about Atlanta’s starters.

Instead, the Braves have compiled a sparkling 1.61 team ERA behind a ragtag bunch of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, David Hale and Aaron Harang.

And now, former Royal Santana.

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There are some concerns with Santana. He was stretched out in an extended spring training, so he’ll be pitching in his first game of the season. He got roughed up for six runs and four walks in just five and a third IP in a recent start with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate.

In Santana’s physical upon joining the Braves on a one-year contract for over $14 million, there were some concerns about the condition of his elbow ligaments. Ugh, scary.

But Santana pitched well for K.C. last season, and Atlanta hope he can shore up the absence of Beachy and Medlen for an entire season. When Minor returns and if a couple of the incumbents (Teheran and Wood likely) continue to perform well, Atlanta’s starting pitching should be A-OK.
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The Mets spoiled the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s home-run record last night, winning 4-0 at Turner Field. The Mets have limped along with a lousy offense so far; 3B and team leader David Wright is mired in a slump and slugging acquisition Curtis Granderson isn’t yet performing.

New York has injury concerns of its own, with young stud pitcher Matt Harvey out after Tommy John surgery. And yet, cast-offs and unheralded players have been getting the job done on the bump for the Mets.

Ageless wonder Bartolo Colon pitched a nice shutout performance yesterday and Dillon Gee is another pitcher that has answered the bell for New York’s “other” team.

But if the Mets are going to run with NL East frontrunners like the Braves and the Washington Nationals, they must get consistent performance from tonight’s starter Wheeler, young phenom Noah Syndergaard, and steady run production from the 1-9 hitters.

Wright and Granderson getting their act together would go a long way. The 1B platoon of Ike Davis and Lucas Duda has been effective in this young season as well as little-known CF Juan Lagares, who looks like he’ll be something special. Wright being Wright and Granderson having a rare healthy season will make all the difference.

Atlanta has some studs of its own (Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, I’m looking at you) but the Braves have some concerns. There must be worry about how the pitching will hold up over 162 games and OF B.J. Upton and 2B Dan Uggla were two of the worst regulars in MLB in 2013. Even average performance from them would bring the offense up a notch.

The Braves say that Santana’s ghastly Triple-A performance was purely to raise his pitch count to Major League levels, but that outing was gnarly by any metric, and that wasn’t Major League hitters.

I think Atlanta should be cautiously optimistic about Ervin Santana and I think a slow start by him translates into New York grabbing another road victory in this series.

New York 6, Atlanta 4

(take the OVER)

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By James Hayes

James has been naming every player on the EA Sports video game rosters for half a decade now, he’s finally putting his knowledge to better use writing for us here at CappersPicks.com. Your comments are welcome below…Give Us Your Take!