Atlanta @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( May 18, 2010 ) NY Mets 2, Atlanta 3
The last time the Atlanta Braves visited New York, they limped out of town after a three-game sweep in the midst of a nine-game skid that left them in last place in the National League East.
Atlanta has gone 42-21 since then and holds not only a three-game lead over the New York Mets in the division, but also the best record in the National League.
The Mets hope to change that when the Braves return to Citi Field for a crucial three-game set beginning tonight.
The Braves have won eight of 12 since they were swept in a three-game road series against the Chicago White Sox two weeks ago, helping them maintain their grip on the NL East lead. Atlanta has held the division lead since May 31.
But the Braves have been beatable on the road - they're 20-25 away from Turner Field - and the Mets have been tough to handle at home. New York is 29-14 at Citi Field - the second-best home record in the National League - and had won six consecutive home series before dropping two of three to Cincinnati earlier this week.
The Mets have cooled off lately, though. They're 8-10 since winning eight in a row in mid-June, and they've leveled off at Citi Field during that stretch, going 5-4 in their last three series at home.
Citi Field has been a nice place to pitch for 35-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in three home starts since the Mets called him up from Triple-A Buffalo on May 19.
Dickey (6-1, 2.62 ERA) has been a solid addition to the Mets' rotation, having allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his nine starts.
He had his streak of six consecutive wins snapped June 28 against Florida, but he rebounded for another strong effort Saturday in Washington. He limited the Nationals to two unearned runs on six hits over seven innings, but settled for a no-decision when Washington rallied against closer Francisco Rodriguez for a 6-5 win.
Dickey will have to contend with a Braves lineup led by All-Star second baseman Martin Prado, whose 121 hits and .336 batting average lead the National League. Prado has shown a sudden power surge, too, mixing three home runs among his five hits over the past two games. Prado has 40 multi-hit games.
Third baseman David Wright is the Mets' hottest hitter. He's hitting .407 in 35 games since May 30 and has multiple hits in 11 of his last 16 games.
Trying to cool off Wright becomes the task of 23-year-old right-hander Tommy Hanson, who is seeking some consistency after an up-and-down first half of the season.
After two disastrous outings in a row, Hanson (8-5, 4.19 ERA) bounced back Saturday against Florida, allowing just one unearned run on five hits over 6 2/3 innings to earn his eighth win.
Facing the Mets has been good and bad for Hanson in his brief career - he has dominated them, but has also had some tough luck against them. Hanson is 1-1 in two starts against New York, but he hasn't yet allowed an earned run in 12 innings against them and has racked up 16 strikeouts at their expense.
He threw seven scoreless innings against the Mets in a 6-0 win Sept. 15 and allowed only one unearned run in a five-inning complete game in a rain-shortened 1-0 loss April 25.