SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — A struggling New York Mets team visits Truist Park on Friday night to open a four-game series against the first-place Atlanta Braves, with first pitch scheduled for 7:20 p.m. under a forecast of 85 degrees and rain. The Braves (50-34) hold a 14½-game lead over the last-place Mets (36-51) in the National League East. New York has lost eight of its last 10 games, including a 9-3 defeat at Toronto on Wednesday. The Mets’ most recent head-to-head series against Atlanta came in mid-June at Citi Field, where New York won the finale 8-1 on June 14 before dropping the opener of that set 3-1. Players to watch New York outfielder Carson Benge has been one of the Mets’ few bright spots. The rookie went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in Wednesday’s loss at Toronto. Over his last 10 games, Benge is batting .209 (9-for-43) with one homer and five RBIs. For Atlanta, right-hander Reynaldo López has been effective out of the bullpen. He pitched five innings of two-hit ball, allowing one earned run and striking out six in the Braves’ 5-1 win over St. Louis on Wednesday. In his last six appearances, López has allowed two earned runs over 15⅓ innings with 14 strikeouts. Recent form The Braves bounced back from consecutive losses to St. Louis by winning Wednesday. Atlanta has won five of its last seven games. The Mets have lost four of their last five, with their only victory in that span coming in a 3-0 shutout at Toronto on June 30. Betting and projections Interstat’s game simulator projects a 3-2 Atlanta victory. The Braves have been installed as a pregame favorite with a run line of minus-1.5. The over/under is set at 9½ total runs. Series outlook Following Friday’s opener, the teams play three more times at Truist Park through Monday. Both clubs then head on the road: the Mets return home to host Kansas City in a four-game set, while the Braves travel to Pittsburgh for three games.