ATLANTA — The Mets finished with four hits and mishandled four Braves batted balls. Such a ratio is rarely conducive to winning. On a night the Mets did little right, their defense was particularly poor in a disappointing and series-opening 5-1 loss to the Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday.

Michael Harris II had three more hits, including a solo home run and an RBI double, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach shut down the New York Mets again as the Atlanta Braves cruised to a 5-1 win in the opener of a pivotal three-game series.

What will be perhaps the most important series of the 2024 MLB regular season takes place this week at Truist Park. The Atlanta Braves will host the NL East rival New York Mets for three games and there might only be one postseason spot for these two teams.

J.D. Martinez is a veteran of many important late-season games, but that experience doesn’t carry much weight as a slumping player.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said he would work out before Tuesday's game against the Braves to determine if he was healthy enough to come off the bench.