What happened: The Braves connected on another home run in Saturday's Fourth of July matchup with the New York Mets, continuing a stretch in which Atlanta's offense has done its damage over the fence. The teams entered the day with the series tied 1-1.
Why it matters: Atlanta came in at 51-35, among the best records in baseball, while the Mets have stumbled to 36-52 and arrived on a two-game losing streak. The long ball has been central to Atlanta's recent power surge, and the market reflected the gap, listing the Braves as heavy home favorites with a total of 8.0.
By the numbers: Atlanta is 51-35 this season, scoring 4.7 runs per game and allowing 3.7; New York is 36-52, scoring 4.0 and allowing 4.5. The Braves took Friday's meeting 5-3, while the clubs split their four most recent head-to-head results overall, including an 8-1 Mets win on June 14 and Braves wins on June 13 and July 3.
What to watch: With the series tied 1-1, watch whether Atlanta's home run power keeps carrying the offense as the holiday set with New York plays out.