Walker expected to start for the Mets against the Braves

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Thursday, July 29, 2021

Atlanta Braves (50-52, third in the NL East) vs. New York Mets (54-46, first in the NL East)

Flushing, Queens; Thursday, 12:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Braves: Drew Smyly (7-3, 4.30 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 77 strikeouts) Mets: Taijuan Walker (7-4, 3.44 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 90 strikeouts)

LINE: Mets -143, Braves +124; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: New York and Atlanta will face off on Thursday.

The Mets are 32-17 in home games in 2020. New York has hit 110 home runs as a team this season. Pete Alonso leads them with 22, averaging one every 14.7 at-bats.

The Braves are 24-27 on the road. Atlanta has slugged .427 this season. Austin Riley leads the team with a mark of .513.

The Mets won the last meeting 2-1. Trevor May notched his fourth victory and Brandon Drury went 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI for New York. Max Fried registered his seventh loss for Atlanta.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alonso leads the Mets with 35 extra base hits and is batting .262.

Ozzie Albies leads the Braves with 52 extra base hits and is batting .262.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mets: 6-4, .280 batting average, 3.83 ERA

Braves: 5-5, .248 batting average, 2.59 ERA, outscored opponents by 19 runs

INJURIES: Mets: Jordan Yamamoto: (shoulder), Noah Syndergaard: (elbow), Robert Stock: (hamstring), Sean Reid-Foley: (elbow), David Peterson: (side), Corey Oswalt: (knee), Stephen Nogosek: (shoulder), Joey Lucchesi: (elbow), Robert Gsellman: (lat), Jacob deGrom: (forearm), Carlos Carrasco: (hamstring), Dellin Betances: (shoulder), Jose Peraza: (finger), Jose Martinez: (knee), Francisco Lindor: (oblique).

Braves: Huascar Ynoa: (hand), Mike Soroka: (achilles), Drew Smyly: (knee), Grant Dayton: (shoulder), Tucker Davidson: (forearm), Ian Anderson: (shoulder), Marcell Ozuna: (hand), Ronald Acuna Jr.: (knee), Travis d'Arnaud: (left thumb).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.