AP Sports Preview ATLANTA (Interstat) — The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves continue their weekend series Saturday, July 4, at Truist Park in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. EDT. The Braves (50-35) enter play with a firm grip on the National League East, while the Mets (36-51) occupy the division cellar, 15 games behind Atlanta. The Mets lost Friday’s series opener 3-2, a game decided in the late innings. Atlanta has won three of the four head-to-head meetings this season. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 3-2 Braves victory, and Atlanta is a -1.5 run favorite. The over-under is 7.5 runs. Players to watch Mets right fielder Carson Benge has been one of the few bright spots in a struggling New York lineup. Over his last 10 games, Benge is batting .286 (10-for-35) with two home runs and six RBIs. His most recent performance came July 1 in a 9-3 loss at Toronto, where he went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Benge has hit safely in eight of his last nine games. The Mets have lost nine of their last 11 contests overall, including series defeats to the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies before dropping two of three in Toronto. Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep is expected to see action. In his most recent outing Thursday against St. Louis, Waldrep allowed three earned runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings with four strikeouts in an 11-5 loss. He also threw two scoreless innings of relief June 26 at San Francisco. Atlanta has split its last six games, including a series loss to St. Louis to open July. The Braves are 7-3 in their last 10 home games. Next up The teams conclude the four-game set Sunday, then play again Monday at Truist Park. New York returns home for a three-game series against Kansas City beginning Tuesday, while Atlanta travels to Pittsburgh for a three-game set starting Tuesday.