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The 50-35 and in first place by 3 games Braves are in town for the weekend series leading up to the All-Star break.
Mets swept a really bad-looking Braves team in CitiField in April with the Mets staff holding the Braves to 3 runs over 3 games (OK, 2-1/2 games as the last one was shortened to 5 innings on account of weather. The two teams then split a pair of 3-2 games in Atlanta in May.
But we're going to see a very different team this week. Not in terms of personnel all that much but it looks like most of those parts have gotten their collective acts together over the last 8 weeks.
1B - Troy Glaus: Has actually tailed off lately after hitting far better than the Tomahawks had any right to expect for a long time -- .257/.361/.451
2B - Martin Prado: Only leads the majors in hits but packs a bit of punch as well with 37 XBHs at the midway point. -- .336/.375/.500
SS - Yunel Excobar: Sleeping much of the year, is waking up lately but still no punch -- .237/.336/.281
3B - Larry Jones: Slowing down, not as much of a threat, still taking his walks -- .253/.382/.399 -- and it's not his last series here so we don't even have to think about cheering him
Their OF has been all over the place lately due mostly to injuries. Greatest Rookie Ever is on the shelf, as is the largely sucky Nate McLouth. But pain-in-the-ass Matt Diaz is back so he plus Omar Infante, Gregor Blanco, Eric Hinske, and Melky Cabrera are manning the green grass these days. None are all that scary on their own. Collectively they're annoying as hell and both Cabreara & Hinske have MFY stink on them.
Game 1 - (uh, that would be tonight) - Tommy Hansen (8-2; 4.19; 1.336) vs R. A. Dickey
Hansen is coming off a good performance vs Florida although prior to that had gotten his ass handed to him in two straight outings v the ChiSox & Tigers (15 R in 7.1 IPs)
Game 2 - Saturday afternoon FOX game (at least for part of the country) - Tim Hudson (8-4; 2.44; 1.146) vs Mike Pelfrey
Great bounce-back from surgery year for Hudson
Game 3 - Sunday afternoon - Derrick Lowe (9-7; 4.40; 1.385) vs Johan Santana
Lowe's been his usual so-so self, but much better lately as compared to the beginning of the season. Sal Q thinks we should trade Santana for him now.
Tough to say we NEED to win the series with nearly half the season to go but it would sure help and a sweep would make the break seem mighty nice.
What we DON'T need is a replay of the same series from 12 years ago when we got swept 3-2, 4-1, & 3-2 - the last one in extra innings on the worst call EVAH by Angel Hernandez. Brian Jordan STILL hasn't touched the plate!! On the other hand we went into that series already down 9.5 games and yet still managed to recover and make the playoffs.
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