NEW YORK (Interstat) -- The Atlanta Braves, holding the National League’s best record, visit Citi Field on Monday night to open a three-game series against the last-place New York Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies and 74 degrees. Atlanta (62-43) sends right-hander Zac Thornton (1-1) to the mound. The Mets had not announced a starter as of Sunday. The Braves enter as -1.5 run favorites, with an over/under of 8, and the Interstat game simulator projects a 7-2 Atlanta victory. Both teams come off wins Sunday. The Braves edged Baltimore 3-2 behind a strong start from right-hander Reynaldo López, who threw 5 2/3 shutout innings with six strikeouts. López, a player to watch for Atlanta, has been inconsistent this month. He allowed four earned runs in a loss at St. Louis on July 11 and five earned runs against San Diego on July 21, but rebounded with his scoreless outing Sunday. In his previous meeting with the Mets on July 6, he surrendered one earned run over five innings in a 7-6 loss. For the Mets (44-62), left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez has been effective in recent appearances. He threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts in Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over his last four outings, Pérez has allowed no earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, striking out eight. However, he struggled earlier this month, giving up two earned runs in a loss to Boston on July 10 and four earned runs against Toronto on July 1. The season series has been closely contested. In their most recent meeting, July 3-6 in Atlanta, the teams split a four-game set. The Mets won the first two games, 7-6 and 10-9, before the Braves rebounded with a 14-3 rout and a 5-3 victory. In the previous series June 12-14 at Citi Field, New York took two of three, including an 8-1 win and a 7-5 victory, with Atlanta’s lone win coming 3-1. Atlanta’s recent surge has been fueled by a strong offense. The Braves have won five of their last six, including a three-game sweep of San Diego from July 20-22. The Mets, meanwhile, have split their last six games, taking two of three from Philadelphia on the road July 17-19 before losing two of three to Milwaukee and splitting the four-game set with the Dodgers. Following Monday’s game, the teams play again Tuesday and Wednesday at Citi Field. Atlanta then returns home for a six-game homestand against Washington and Miami, while the Mets host Miami for three games before traveling to Cleveland and Pittsburgh.