Braves, looking to make up ground, welcome Mets

Field Level Media

The third-place Atlanta Braves hope to chop a few games off their National League East deficit when they host the first-place New York Mets in a three-game series that begins Tuesday.

The Mets lost 8-4 to the host Washington Nationals on Monday, a one-game makeup game to begin a seven-game road trip. New York, despite going 4-7 over the past 11 games, has led the division since May 8, its longest streak on top since the end of the 2015 season.

Atlanta, the division champion the past three seasons, is coming off a four-game split at Cincinnati. The Braves, who are 5-5 over their past 10 games, split a four-game set in New York a week ago.

The Mets are 5-3 against the Braves…