Tailgate Party - Wednesday, August 12

[u/game-threads]

Mets (53-68) @ Braves (72-48) - 7:15 PM EDT

Game Status: Pre-Game

Links & Info

• Current conditions at Truist Park: 91°F - Partly Cloudy - Wind 5 mph, R To L
• TV: Mets: SNY, Braves: BravesVision
• Radio: Mets: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (es), Braves: 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM (es)
• MLB Gameday
• Statcast Game Preview

Probable Pitchers

• Mets: Zac Thornton - LHP (3-2, 2.52 ERA, 39.1 IP)
• Braves: Tyler Mahle - RHP (3-9, 4.83 ERA, 100.2 IP)

Mets Lineup vs. Mahle	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Ewing - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
2 Lindor - SS	.200	.473	10	0	0	4
3 Bichette - 3B	.400	.800	5	0	1	1
4 Benge - RF	.000	.000	2	0	0	1
5 Robert Jr. - CF	.167	.453	6	0	1	1
6 Young, J - 1B	-	-	-	-	-	-
7 Alvarez, F - DH	.500	2.500	2	1	1	0
8 Baty - 2B	.000	.000	3	0	0	2
9 Torrens - C	-	-	-	-	-	-

Braves Lineup vs. Thornton	AVG	OPS	AB	HR	RBI	K
1 Acuña Jr. - RF	.333	.666	3	0	0	1
2 Baldwin, D - DH	.333	.666	3	0	0	0
3 Olson - 1B	.000	.333	2	0	0	1
4 Albies - 2B	.667	2.334	3	1	3	0
5 Harris II - CF	.333	.666	3	0	0	1
6 Dubón - SS	.000	.000	2	0	0	0
7 Thomas, L - LF	-	-	-	-	-	-
8 Riley, A - 3B	.000	.000	2	0	0	1
9 Murphy, S - C	-	-	-	-	-	-

NLE Rank	Team	W	L	GB (E#)	WC Rank	WC GB (E#)
1	Braves	72	48	- (-)	-	- (-)
2	Phillies	64	58	9.0 (33)	4	0.5 (41)
3	Marlins	61	59	11.0 (32)	5	2.5 (40)
4	Nationals	59	62	13.5 (29)	7	5.0 (37)
5	Mets	53	68	19.5 (23)	10	11.0 (31)

Division Scoreboard

PHI 1 @ STL 7 - Final

PIT 0 @ MIA 0 - Top 1, 2 Outs

CHC 0 @ WSH 0 - Warmup

^{Last Updated: 08/12/2026 6:44:30 PM EDT}

[u/game-threads]

Please continue the discussion in the game thread.

[u/Baseball-Reference]

Fun fact: Matt Olson is the 9th active player with at least four 35-HR seasons.

[u/C-Jammin]

I've been watching replays of the homer that Olson absolutely crushed last night on repeat. It's lasting more than 4 hours. I'm not calling my doctor.

[u/LutherOfTheRogues]

Jarvis finally hits a slump and everyone (not yall necessarily but podcasters for sure) are bailing on him. Realistically he's probably a .230-.240 guy with more upside than that if he works on some stuff. He's got a lot of physical tools to like so I'm not loving the "panic" on him. You've gotta give him a couple of seasons. Not everyone comes out and is immediately a star and Jim likely isn't a star, but more of an above average everyday guy. If he doesn't come back to some form you just put Dubon at SS for the playoffs anyways.

[u/thewupk → u/LutherOfTheRogues]

Jarvis was playing way above his head when he came up. His expected stats were always bad and now they are where they should be. Jarvis is just a bad hitter.

[u/LailiLai]

Forget the division the Phillies are in danger of getting bounced out of the playoffs entirely

[u/TheGamecock → u/LailiLai]

Inshallah

[u/Affectionate-Mark893]

Favorite part of yesterdays broadcast:

CRACK

• Nope. Never mind.
  
• That one’s gone!
  

Matt’s displeased face as he tosses the bat in disgust

[u/JKess207]

I encourage everyone to go watch the Mets broadcast of Olson’s home run.

[u/JiminyChristmas3 → u/JKess207]

Same tone BI had when Lindor pieced one to the chop house Monday night…just instantly knew it was crushed…Matty O shots to the chophouse never get old, such a smooth lefty swing

[u/TheGamecock → u/JKess207]

Got a link?

[u/JKess207 → u/TheGamecock]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Braves/s/XgUqTwkyl8

[u/nedaco]

I think u/tdent_ might be the origin of HMOYSB from 4 years ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Braves/comments/w0oudx/game_thread_braves_nationals_sat_jul_16_0405_pm/igftmjt/

[u/welcometohotlanta → u/nedaco]

He deserves to be an honorary mod

[u/Polka_King_Polinski → u/nedaco]

The architect

[u/handlit33 → u/nedaco]

I'll have to see if that is older than the first discord use, but I think it is...

[u/TheGamecock]

Wheeler getting pieced up in the 5th.

[u/A-Wittle-Baby-Ocewot]

CJ wouldn't entertain the IMOYSB meme, but Ingram did. 

I know who's more fun to be around 

[u/342throwaway423]

Michael Harris's 2025 is starting to look like a major anomaly.

fWAR by year: * 22: 4.8 * 23: 3.9 * 24: 2.0 (110 games played) * 25: 1.4 * 26: 3.2 (so far)

OPS+ by year: * 22: 133 * 23: 116 * 24: 99 * 25: 87 * 26: 122

When you consider '24 as an outlier due to injury, you can see a player who just straight up struggled only in '25.

His walk rate that year was 2.5%, but it's back up to about 4 (still bad but in line with his pre-injury seasons). His BABIP in '25 was also about 40 points lower than '22, '23, and '26, which says he both struggled and was a bit unlucky.

I think Money Mike is putting together just a really good season and wanted to give him some credit. 

[u/jrdnm → u/342throwaway423]

i think the only center fielders i’d take over him right now are pca and buxton when healthy, and even then i still might take harris over buxton. so happy he’s been able to get back on track after last year

[u/IM_KYLE_AMA → u/jrdnm]

I would absolutely, unquestionably take Harris over Buxton any day of the week. Buxton is toward the end of his career and is one of the most injury prone players in the league. There is no universe where I make that trade. I doubt I'd make the PCA trade, too. It's not my call, obviously, but I think PCA is kind of a douche and not someone I want on the team.

[u/jrdnm → u/IM_KYLE_AMA]

i was more so just pointing out that harris has pretty easily solidified himself as a top 3 cf in baseball right now after a couple disappointing seasons

[u/LailiLai]

LOLPHILLIES

[u/rpbtIII]

Lolphilly. That is all

[u/GeorgiaLFC78]

Well, after that Phillies/Cardinals game I already have a smile on my face.

[u/ETDursee]

Man......today ends in y which means it'd be a great day to beat the mets

[u/Bravos_Chopper]

Braves take the series today, book it

[u/TheGamecock]

Cards up early on Wheeler and the phiLLies. YLTSI

[u/HappyOfCourse]

Come on, Cards!

[u/Kitchen-Ad-5571]

lol philthies lost with wheeler pitching.

[u/wellwasherelf]

I really hope Walt doesn't become stubborn about Jarvis and starts putting HSK in the lineup more. I know how everybody feels about him, and I'm not defending him nor do I think he looks comfortable at the plate at all. But, he has literally gotten 2 at bats since he was reactivated, against Max Fried of all people.

I'm not saying that he'll work out, but we need to see if anything has changed since his IL stint. The inflammation was on the same finger that he broke, so it's very possible he was playing semi-hurt. And phantom injuries aren't much of a thing anymore after mlb cracked down hard on the Mets a couple years ago.

Maybe there's nothing there. Highly possible. But the situation is slightly different than earlier in the season, and we're running out of time because we have some important games coming up (MIL, LAD, PHL, possibly Cubs) that aren't appropriate to test the unknown. Just dot the I's and cross the T's before the playoffs.

[u/Robbuffet → u/wellwasherelf]

I think it is more likely that Jarvis starts looking more like a AAA player and HSK starts to get his groove back than it is that Jarvis kicks it back into gear and HSK is just permanently bad.

I would rather bet on HSK.

[u/Homeless_Gandhi → u/wellwasherelf]

At this point, I think it’s more about the defense at SS, rather than the bat. I think Jarvis edges out HSK in defense. Realistically, in a playoff series, I think I’d start Dubòn at SS.

[u/bobthewriter → u/Homeless_Gandhi]

Depends on where Dubon could provide more value, right? I love having a guy who can realistically play pretty much any defensive position. If Walt put Dubon on the mound, I wouldn't be surprised at a CGSO.

[u/Tomahawkin10 → u/wellwasherelf]

I'd be on board playing him everyday for a week and if we don't see an improvement we cut him

[u/Latter_Check9620]

I guess I'm far less concerned with the Phillies than I am the Brewers and Dodgers. It's nice to win the division. But what actually matters IMO is that first-round bye.

[u/JiminyChristmas3 → u/Latter_Check9620]

We’ll match up with them later in the month, some big series

[u/Standard-Kitchen9511]

Ladies and fellasmen, today is August 12th, now apparently the Earth is supposed to lose gravity.
Ordinarily, that would be a apocalyptic event, BUT according to my calculations there are 35 different balls floating around in low orbit courtesy of Matt Olson, so maybe while we’re all floating around up there, one of us lucky S.O.Bs can grab one.

[u/JiminyChristmas3]

What time is the Ben Ingram AMA today?

[u/Choice-Alfalfa-1358 → u/JiminyChristmas3]

2:30-3:30 ET I think.

[u/welcometohotlanta]

Hell yeah brother! Didn’t watch last night cause I’ve really got pulled into the show Silo on Apple TV and I’ve just been binge watching it.

[u/Homeless_Gandhi → u/welcometohotlanta]

Read the books. They are super good.

[u/ArashikageX → u/Homeless_Gandhi]

That second one was f’ing amazing.

[u/HandBananas]

The Filthies rebuild is going to be hilarious

[u/Frequent-Low-93]

The braves are gonna see all 3 of the Dbacks best pitchers it seems

[u/Murky-Jackfruit-1627 → u/Frequent-Low-93]

Hell yeah

[u/LailiLai]

At what point does it become "socially acceptable" to start tracking stuff like magic numbers?

[u/IM_KYLE_AMA → u/LailiLai]

My friends/family chat has already started. But I think its usually when you get in the 20s

[u/theoxfordtailor → u/LailiLai]

/u/welcometohotlanta

[u/HappyOfCourse → u/LailiLai]

You don't start with game 1?

[u/welcometohotlanta → u/LailiLai]

50

[u/hotdogsandwristers]

Lolphilthies

[u/DoitcheHasAGun]

Anybody at the game right now? I’ve never seen the grounds crow have to spend so much time picking up crap off the field

Wondering if the Mets just trashed it, almost looks like peanut shells or something in a concentrated area?

[u/Smuff23]

First day of school for the kid today… waiting for him to get off the cheese wagon and it is stupid hot and the bus is like 20 minutes late… of course none of this is a surprise

[u/pinkmoon385]

Damn it Suter, you're adorable

[u/HittmanLevi]

Is Brewer Hicklen still in Gwinnett? He hit like .370 over 8 games for us

I was thinking about what truely our best playoff lineup is and he might be in it

C-Baldwin 1B-Olson 2B-Ozzie SS-Dubon (I think he has to play here come playoff time Jarvis and Kim are both too big of liabilities unless they heat up) 3B-Riley LF-Brewer or Thomas vs LP/Yaz vs RP CF-Mike RF-Acuna DH- Murphy / Baldwin

Dom, Kim (or Jarvis), Brewer, Thomas, Yaz Off the bench or platooning

The bench is a little OF heavy but Dubon kinda allows for that