ATLANTA — Mike Soroka baffled the New York Mets for six innings on May 1 in his major league debut at Citi Field http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-johnny-townsend-jersey , allowing six hits and a run while walking none and striking out five in a 3-2 victory by the Atlanta Braves.

The rookie right-hander didn’t fare as well in his next two starts, though, and he faces the Mets at SunTrust Field on Wednesday after having missed nearly four weeks because of a shoulder strain.

The Braves (38-28) are looking for a sweep of the two-game series after winning 8-2 on Tuesday night to take over sole possession of first place in the National League East and send the skidding Mets (28-35) to their 14th loss in the past 17 games.

“When you’re scoring runs at the anemic rate that we have, something hasn’t worked,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said before the game. “From that standpoint, I take total responsibility for where we are. I’m not happy about it. But at the same time, the job now is to figure out how to fix it and improve it. We are focused on getting the team back to where it was many weeks ago.”

The Braves had planned to give Soroka three minor league rehab starts, but they will activate the 20-year-old Canadian from the disabled list after just two to face the Mets following a 73-pitch outing for Triple-A Gwinnett last week.

“He came out of everything really well and the reports were really good,” manager Brian Snitker said. “So, we just decided to let him have (the start).”

Soroka (1-1, 3.68 ERA) was matched against hard-throwing Noah Syndergaard in his debut and this time his mound opponent will be Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

DeGrom (4-1, 1.57 ERA) will be making his fourth start against the Braves this season and has yet to have a decision despite a 0.50 ERA.

DeGrom http://www.patriotsauthorizedshop.com/authentic-danny-shelton-jerseyy , the victim of lack of run support and bullpen failures, took his first loss Friday while turning in another quality start, allowing four hits and two earned runs over eight innings against the New York Yankees while striking out eight.

The right-hander struck out 13 over seven innings against the Chicago Cubs while getting a no-decision in his start prior to that and lost a chance for a win in Atlanta on May 28 when the Braves’ Charlie Culberson hit a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning against reliever Seth Lugo.

“I think it’s frustrating no matter what, whether I’m pitching or not,” deGrom said. “We don’t want to lose and when we do lose games, it’s frustrating for everybody. Obviously, that’s not what we’re trying to do.”

DeGrom’s ERA is the best in the National League by nearly a half run and he is second with 106 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings. Yet he has just four victories in 13 starts and has received a no-decision eight times.

Before the loss to the Yankees, deGrom had allowed one run or less in eight consecutive starts and he has done it nine times this season.

DeGrom is 5-3 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 career starts against the Braves, striking out 98 in 88 innings.

The 27-year-old former Stetson University shortstop has allowed just 11 hits and a run over 18 innings in his three no-decision against Atlanta this season and has 25 strikeouts to five walks.

Soroka, a first-round draft pick in 2015, made it through just four innings in a loss to San Francisco after his impressive debut against the Mets, then began feeling shoulder discomfort while pitching 4 2/3 innings at Miami in his third start.

Soroka totaled just eight innings in his two minor league rehab appearances Joe Montana Jersey Youth , but struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings for Gwinnett against Syracuse last week and the Braves decided he was ready to fill an open rotation spot against the Mets.

“He can go 85, 90 (pitches), which is all he would probably be doing anyway,” Snitker said.
— Two years removed from being a first-round draft pick, receiver Corey Coleman vows he’s got plenty to prove with the Buffalo Bills after falling well short of expectations in Cleveland.

That’s the message Coleman posted on his Instagram account along with a video of him showing off his new Bills No. 19 jersey. And it’s something Coleman repeated following his first practice at Bills training camp Tuesday, two days after being acquired in a trade with the Browns.

“It feels good to be wanted,” said Coleman, wearing a towel around his neck while a steady rain fell. “They have their trust in me. I really don’t want to let them down.”

The Bills are providing Coleman a fresh start after his two-year tenure in Cleveland was beset by injuries and dropped passes. As an indication of how far his stock has fallen, Buffalo gave up a 2020 seventh-round pick to acquire the 15th player selected in the 2016 draft.

“A lot of things don’t work out the way you want it to work out,” Coleman said.

“I’ve got much respect for my teammates, man, those guys in the locker room over there in Cleveland are top-notch guys. We have a great fan base in Cleveland http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-will-dissly-jersey , too,” he added. “I’m going to leave it at that.”

If only the Browns and their fans could do the same so easily.

Traded by first-year general manager John Dorsey, Coleman came to symbolize the overall dysfunction of the Browns’ previous regime, which passed on drafting current Eagles starting quarterback Carson Wentz by trading down and selecting the Baylor receiver.

Injuries limited Coleman to playing 19 games, during which he caught 56 of the 131 passes thrown in his direction for 718 yards and five touchdowns. And he will forever be remembered in Cleveland for dropping a pass late in the fourth quarter in last season’s finale at Pittsburgh that sealed the Browns’ 0-16 finish.

“Right, it’s easy to point the finger and stuff,” Coleman said. “Every week in the NFL you see receivers drop a ball, drop a pass. It matters how you respond. And that’s a big thing.”

The Bills took what GM Brandon Beane called “a low-risk” gamble in a bid to address a need at a position that lacks experienced and proven talent behind starter Kelvin Benjamin. Coleman also has the opportunity to provide the Bills’ retooled offense an element of downfield speed to keep opposing defenses from crowding the line to stop the run.

“Look, speed is dangerous,” coach Sean McDermott said. “It opens up the defense a little bit for other things. So that element is important.”

As for expectations, McDermott wants to provide Coleman time to learn the playbook and become comfortable with his new teammates and surroundings.

“Can’t wait to watch him really just blossom into the player we believe he can become,” McDermott said.

Coleman practiced on a limited basis Tuesday Dan Bailey Jersey , and it’s unclear whether he’ll play in Buffalo’s preseason opener against Carolina on Thursday.

He appreciates the amount of catching up he has ahead.

“It’s difficult, you know, but we’ve got great resources here,” Coleman said. “I’m going to work my tail off to come here, do everything I need to do.”

NOTES: McDermott wasn’t prepared to announce who will start at quarterback against the Panthers. Offseason free-agent addition AJ McCarron and returning backup Nathan Peterman have split time with the starters for the first two weeks of training camp, while rookie first-round pick Josh Allen continues to mostly work with the third-string offense. … LB Trent Murphy, an offseason free-agent addition, isn’t expected to play after missing the past week with a groin injury. McDermott expects Murphy to resume practicing next week.
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