For First Time Since Opening Day, Mets and Braves Tied for First Place
For the first time since Opening Day, the Atlanta Braves are back in first place of the National League East.
The New York Mets suffered an embarrassing 8-2 road loss to the Pirates in Pittsburgh Tuesday night, opening the door for the Atlanta Braves to finally catch them.
The Braves handed the Oakland Athletics a 10-9 loss in Oakland, improving their record to 85-51, the same record that the Mets now have.
The Mets got off to an early lead in the NL East, and haven't looked back since.
Entering play June 2, the Mets had a 35-17 record, and the next closest team — the Atlanta Braves — was 10.5 games back of their division-lead. The Braves were 24-27 at the time.
Since June 2, the Mets have played very well. The Mets have a 50-34 record in that time.
But the Braves have been even better. The Braves are now 63-24 since June 2.
Though the Mets have in fact played well throughout the summer, they're in a bit of a funk right now. The club has lost five of their last eight, including three of four to the lowly Pirates and Washington Nationals.
The Mets are going to need to pick it up and quick, because the Braves, on the other hand, keep winning. Atlanta has now won six straight and find themselves tied for the division-lead with four weeks remaining in the 2022 regular season.
The two teams have three games remaining between the two of them before the season concludes. The Braves and the Mets will meet for a three-game series in Atlanta at Truist Park the final weekend of the season.
A division championship would mean the difference between a first round bye — and with it, a well-rested pitching staff — and playing a three-game Wild Card Series before the National League Division Series.
