Santana Takes On The Braves As Mets Try To Avoid Sweep

Starting Lineup

1. Ruben Tejada – SS
2. Daniel Murphy – 2B
3. David Wright – 3B
4. Ike Davis – 1B
5. Scott Hairston – LF
6. Kirk Nieuwenhuis – RF
7. Andres Torres – CF
8. Josh Thole – C
9. Johan Santana – LHP

The Mets will try to salvage the final game of the series today in Atlanta as Johan Santana takes the hill against Ben Sheets. Santana is 6-5 on the season with a 3.24 ERA over 17 games and 102.2 innings of work. Johan’s last outing was a rough one where he ultimately allowed 7 ER over 4.2 innings of work while having another play step on his calf while Santana was covering first base. Johan’s two starts against the Braves were very different games. He opened his season throwing 5.0 innings of shutout ball against them, and then two starts later allowed 4 ER over 1.1 innings. The Braves have the following numbers against Santana:

Diaz 18-35, 4 2B, HR
McCann 8-32, 2B, 3 HR
Chipper 7-27, HR
Prado 4-22, 2B
Uggla 1-21, HR
Bourn 5-16
Heyward 2-12

You didn’t go back in time today, Ben Sheets is actually pitching. Sheets will be making his first start since 201o when he went 4-9 over 20 starts and 119.1 innings with a 4.53 ERA for the Oakland Athletics. He made two starts in AA to prepare for 2012. In those two starts he pitched 10.1 innings and allowed 6 ER. In his career he has made 8 starts over 47.1 innings against the Mets with a 4-2 record and a 4.56 ERA. The Mets have the following numbers on Sheets:

Wright 4-9, 2B, HR
Torres 2-6, 2B
Murphy 0-2

Let’s Go Mets!