What happened: The Atlanta Braves fired up their fan base with a "& he hit it a country mile!" post, keeping the #BravesCountry drumbeat going through the Fourth of July. It lands with the Braves and New York Mets set to meet again with their series tied 1-1, Atlanta having taken Friday's meeting 5-3.
Why it matters: Atlanta enters at 51-35 and riding a one-game winning streak, while the Mets have skidded to 36-52 and lost two straight. The Braves are listed for the scheduled matchup, and a series edge over a division rival adds a little extra to the holiday-weekend energy. It also extends a steady run of fan-facing posts from the club, including an earlier #BravesCountry rally cry with the Mets series tied 1-1.
By the numbers: Braves: 51-35, scoring 4.7 runs per game while allowing 3.7. Mets: 36-52, scoring 4.0 and allowing 4.5. Recent head-to-head: Braves 5-3 winners on July 3; the clubs split four June meetings, with the Mets taking two at home. Saturday's game is listed at Atlanta with a total of 8.0.
What to watch: The series continues with the rubber-match stakes clear: the winner of the next meeting takes the season-series edge in this stretch. Watch whether Atlanta's pitching, allowing a full run less per game than New York's, keeps the Mets' slump going.