Atlanta @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2015 ) NY Mets 10, Atlanta 7

The trick for the New York Mets this week will be finding a way to keep the momentum going with three losing teams coming up on the schedule. The Mets, who finished an emotional Subway Series against the New York Yankees on Sunday, will continue the business of wrapping up the National League East when they host the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

The Mets enter the week six games ahead of second-place Washington with 13 games to play and would like to take care of clinching the division against the likes of Atlanta, Cincinnati and Philadelphia before closing the regular season against the Nationals. The Mets will have to recover quickly after watching the bullpen implode following an early exit by ace Matt Harvey in Sunday night’s 11-2 loss to the Yankees. Atlanta assured itself of another week out of the division basement by taking three straight 2-1 decisions from the Phillies over the weekend. The Braves will try to keep up that run of strong pitching performances behind Shelby Miller, while New York turns to Jon Niese on Monday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Atlanta), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Shelby Miller (5-15, 3.00 ERA) vs. Mets LH Jon Niese (8-10, 4.31)

Miller can make an easy claim as the unluckiest pitcher in the majors at this point as he leads the league with 15 losses. The 24-year-old Texan is 0-14 with a 3.68 ERA in 22 starts since securing his last win on May 17 and finally appears to be slowing down with 13 earned runs allowed in 14 innings this month. Miller’s lone quality start in September came against the Mets on Sept. 10, when he held the club to three runs in six frames but still suffered a loss.

Niese bounced back from a string of terrible outings by limiting Atlanta to three runs – two earned – and eight hits in six innings without factoring in the decision on Sept. 13. The 28-year-old was rocked for a total of 23 runs in 19 2/3 frames over his previous four outings. Niese is 8-6 with a 3.23 ERA in 21 career starts against the Braves.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes is 1-for-19 with seven strikeouts over his last five games.

2. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz spent the weekend hospitalized due to blood clots in his right arm and is undergoing further evaluation.

3. Atlanta’s next loss will be its 91st, marking the most for the franchise since the 1990 squad went 65-97.

PREDICTION: Braves 5, Mets 3