The depleted Mets won their second straight game in Atlanta Tuesday night. That may not sound like much but with the way that the Braves have owned the Mets in general the past 30 years, and in Atlanta in particular, it was really something to make you sit up and notice. Let’s examine some of the head-to-head records of the Mets and Braves.
Since the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966, they held a 424-372 advantage over the Mets coming into the 2021 season. And that advantage isn’t even counting the Mets’ first four years in existence, when they had a losing record against everyone. In the last three years, the Braves were 31-17 against the Mets.
If you started following the Mets in 1991, you’ve essentially only known the Braves as bullies. Only six times in the last 30 years have the Mets had a winning record in the series. Three of those winning seasons came between 2014-17. In that four-year span – the only period of success enjoyed by the Mets – their record was 42-34. But, for the 1991-2020 seasons in total, the Braves hold a whopping 277-207 edge. Now, you may not think that’s all that bad. But that’s the equivalent of a 69-93 mark in a single season.
Of course, if you’ve been following the Mets longer than that, you know a little about having success against this team. From 1984-1990, the Mets owned a 57-24 advantage. And from 1975-1980, not exactly the best years in club history, the Mets enjoyed a 44-28 edge over the Braves.
A lot of the recent misery was caused by the previous home of the Braves, the house of horrors known as Turner Field. That was home for Atlanta for the 1997-2016 seasons and in the lifetime of Turner Field, the Mets had a 67-106 record there. And that doesn’t even count the three losses the Mets suffered in the 1999 NLCS in Atlanta. It hasn’t been that awful since the Braves moved into their new home, now known as Truist Park. But still, Atlanta holds an 18-15 edge in its home games since 2017. And that’s with the Mets winning seven of the first 10 games there.
In the last three years, when Atlanta has won the division title each season, the Braves hold a 15-8 edge in games played at the now-named Truist Park.
So, starting off the 2021 series against the Braves with two straight victories is an achievement. It gives hope that the Mets can win the head-to-head matchup for the first time since 2017. That’s the year the Braves had both R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon in their rotation, with the latter going 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA. The 2017 Braves went 72-90.
After Tuesday night’s loss, the Braves are on pace to finish the year with 73 wins. If the Mets sweep the series, they’ll fall to a .442 mark, which is a 72-win pace over 162 games. Let’s win today and turn back the clock in Atlanta to 2017. And while we’re at it, turn back the clock in New York to August of 2015, when the club went 20-8. They didn’t play the Braves that month, but went 5-2 against them in September.
We’ve watched the Braves kick sand in our face for most of the past 30 years. The last three were particularly galling because of the unbelievable luck from reclamation projects, middling free agents and dumpster diving off the waiver wire. We’re all due some schadenfreude here with this particular rival.
I’m counting on a regression to mean to carry me for the balance of my lifetime. Or, a time machine back to the late 70s or late 80s would be fun too.
Great job by the Mets the last two days.
At least part of the reason for all that was Chipper Jones. I mention it because the Mets have this annoying habit of not figuring out how to pitch to guys that traditionally kill them. I mean, after a few years of one guy beating you like a rug, you stop doing what you are doing and do something else… now it’s Segura, Soto, and Hoskins.
But the Braves have been a great organization… they get good players when they need to and they seem to get lucky (Not!) with retreads and rehabs… They always had steady leadership (Bobby Cox) and great pitching. I mean, Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz are going to give lot of hitters fits. But Bobby knew how to use his pen and the hitters just felt confident against the Mets’ pitching.
These games often come down to one inning… put up a crooked number and then pitch it tough. Mets doing that this week. Braves starting to press.
The Braves have has a lot of success against the Mets. But in the most important games ever between the 2 teams, the 1969 Mets swept the League Championship Series to advance into the World Series.
I don’t recall seeing a Braves team look this anemic on offense in a while. Just no energy in the lineup. Doesn’t help that the reigning MVP has turned into an all – or nothing hitter the first month of the season. Acuna is on one leg basically. And what happened to Albies and Swanson? They really need Johan Camargo or maybe even Terry Pendleton back in there.
You can’t blame me!!!
My wife and I vacationed in Atlanta for Labor day weekend 2007# and the Mets sweep the Braves in a three series. Sweet!!!
Game #1: 7-1 won by John Maine with Delgado hitting a 3 run HR
Game #2: 5-1 won by Mike Pelfrey again Delgado with a 2 run HR and Beltran 3-4 with a solo HR
Game #3: 3-2 won by Tom Glavine over John Smoltz with Wright hitting a 2 run HR to get the lead.
We had great seats by the right field foul pole in fair territory and by coincidence
the section was more than 50% Met fans.
For an encore, we went back to Atlanta, April 23,2016 and saw the Mets beat Braves, 8-2 with Steve Matz the winner.
So my mWAR is better than 4.0 !!!
Where’s Alonso?
Yeah, I have been thinking the same thing. Last year, he had an “off” year. What about this year? Even worse.
He looks like one of those players who takes two months to heat up. Let’s hope he heats up.
Given all the injuries what do y’all think about signing any of the remaining free agents, particularly, Yoenis Cepedes for RF and starters Anibal Sanchez and Jeff Samardzija? Are there minor league pitchers that teams might be willing to part with that you can think of or do you think the Mets can get buy with guys from the farm (and which ones)?
All three of those guys cannot play baseball anymore.