5 takeaways from the Atlanta Braves series sweep over the New York Mets

Fifth, the Mets need Jacob deGrom to revert back to form

deGrom was the first Mets pitcher to be swallowed up by Atlanta’s power this weekend, and it continued a disturbing trend for the 34-year-old right-hander.

Over his last four starts, deGrom has a 6.00 ERA, giving up 14 runs and 20 hits in 21.0 innings pitched. In those four starts, deGrom has faced the Braves, and also the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Oakland A’s. Those last three squads are not exactly a murderer’s row of offensive talent, yet they are teams that did enough damage against him that he is also 0-3 during that stretch.

That’s the bad news. The silver lining for the Mets is that deGrom is certainly still racking up the strikeouts during that period, with 10 or more in three of the four starts. He also has a 3.69 FIP during that time as well, indicating he may not have had the best luck on the mound.

The Mets will likely have to use deGrom and Max Scherzer in the Wild Card round, meaning they could be at a disadvantage if they advance to the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, if deGrom continues to pitch as he has over the last four starts, the Padres could add their name to the list of teams that have succeeded against him in recent outings. If that happens, New York could be in big trouble in the Wild Card round.