|
After winning 10 of 12 games to open the season, the
New York Mets
have lost two straight games as their offense has gone dry.
The Mets hope to see their lineup get back on track and end their first losing streak of the season when they open a four-game
series against the
San Diego Padres
on Thursday.
New York (10-4) lost to the
Atlanta Braves
2-1 on Wednesday, managing only one run and three hits for the second straight game. The Mets hadn't lost back-to-back games
this season before dropping the final two contests of that three-game set with their NL East rivals.
''We'll probably be going back-and-forth all season with these guys,'' New York manager
Willie Randolph
said.
The Mets are averaging 6.5 runs in their 10 wins this season, but just 2.3 in their four losses.
Third baseman
David Wright
tied a franchise record with three errors Wednesday and grounded out with a runner on first to end the game. Wright entered
the three-game set against Atlanta batting .429 (18-for-42), but went hitless in nine at-bats against the Braves' pitchers
as his average dropped to .353.
Wright is 5-for-13 with a home run and six RBIs in three career games at Petco Park.
Carlos Delgado
is 0-for-7 in the last two games after hitting safely in 11 consecutive games. The Mets are 4-1 this season when he homers.
Xavier Nady
leads all New York regulars in batting at .373 and will face his former team for the first time. Nady, who played with the
Padres in his first four major league seasons before being traded to the Mets in November, batted .264 last season for San
Diego.
''X is gonna be an All-Star - if not this year, then soon,'' said Padres ace
Jake Peavy
, who will start Thursday. ''He's playing as well as anybody in the league now. I'm sure there will be a smirk or two when
he steps in the batter's box. Make no mistake, I'm going to try to get him out three or four times, whatever it is.''
After allowing eight runs and 11 hits in four innings in a 10-4 loss to Colorado on April 9, Peavy settled down to allow only
two runs and four hits in seven innings on Saturday, but lost 2-0 at Atlanta. Peavy (1-2, 5.50 ERA), who has 15 strikeouts
and four walks in 18 innings this season, has not lost three straight decisions since July 4-27, 2003 - a span of 75 starts.
The right-hander is 3-1 with a 3.55 ERA in six career starts against the Mets, but allowed seven runs in five innings in his
only game against New York last season, a 12-0 loss on July 21.
Peavy went 7-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 17 home starts last season, but is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in two starts at Petco this year.
San Diego had season highs in runs and hits in its 13-4 win over Colorado on Wednesday.
Vinny Castilla
had four of the Padres' 19 hits and
Ben Johnson
had a career-high four RBIs.
Castilla, who is 7-for-13 over his last three games, is a career .347 hitter (17-for-49) with five home runs and 17 RBIs against
Mets starter
Steve Trachsel
.
Trachsel will make his first career appearance at Petco Park on Thursday, and hasn't faced the Padres since a 10-3 loss Aug.
26, 2004. The right-hander has struggled in his last five starts against San Diego, going 1-4 with a 10.17 ERA.
Trachsel (1-1, 4.09 ERA) allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings in Saturday's 8-2 loss to Milwaukee. The 14-year
veteran was much better in his only other start this year, giving up a run and three hits as he struck out six in six innings
of a 9-3 win over Florida on April 7.
The Mets went 4-2 against the Padres last season, but have lost seven of their last 10 games at San Diego.
|
