If you had tickets for Sunday's Braves-Mets game, hopefully you didn't sell them after the John Smoltz vs. Johan Santana matchup got wiped out.

Because that matchup is back on.

Smoltz will face new Mets ace Santana in Sunday's series finale at Turner Field, after Tom Glavine agreed to swap starts with his pal Smoltz. It was done so that Smoltz could avoid pitching in cold weather Monday at Colorado in his first start off the disabled list after being out with a sore shoulder.

"It's the smart thing to do," Braves manager Bobby Cox said after announcing the move Saturday, a day after he had indicated to reporters that his starters would be moved back a day after Friday's rainout.

That would've meant Glavine starting Sunday and Smoltz in Monday's series opener at Coors Field.

"Smoltz came to me [Friday] and said, 'If we get rained out, would do you think about pitching in Colorado?' " Glavine said. "I said, 'I don't care.' I understand. There's the potential for [pitching in Colorado] to kind of set him back a little. If we can avoid that, I'm OK with it. Fine by me."

Smoltz is 3-2 with a 4.20 ERA in 14 games (seven starts) at Coors Field, including 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in three starts since moving back from the closer role in 2005.

"I'm not afraid of any situation," said Smoltz, who'll be 41 on May 15. "But I've got to do what's best. What's best for me is best for the team. If this was July, it wouldn't be an issue. It's the total package of Colorado, my shoulder, making your first start. ...

"As a pitcher I hate talking about it, because it sounds like excuses. But it's the best solution. It has nothing to do with matchups, nothing to do with Johan Santana, the Rockies. ... It has everything to do with the long term."

So, Glavine starts the opener of the four-game Colorado series, followed by Jair Jurrjens, Chuck James and Tim Hudson. The Monday night forecast for Denver calls for showers and a low of 32 degrees.

"It could be freezing there," Cox said. "That's not good for anybody. It wouldn't be fair for Smoltz in his first start off the DL. ... Tommy's pitched some nice games out there.

Glavine, 42, has fared better than most pitchers at Coors Field, going 3-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 12 starts, including a six-hit shutout in 1995 and an eight-hit shutout in 1997. He had a 3.34 ERA and one loss in his first 10 starts there before giving up 10 runs in his last two Coors games with the Mets in 2005 and 2007.

In his past four starts at Coors, Glavine has allowed one homer in 24 2/3 innings.

"It's more legit now with the humidor thing," Glavine said, referring to the humidor room where baseballs have been stored at Coors Field in recent seasons, to prevent them from becoming slick and hard in the mountain air. "It's still a hard place to pitch. The outfield is so big that there's a lot of ground to cover. You get a lot of bloop hits and doubles."

Pitchers who rely heavily on breaking pitches tend to struggle at Coors Field, where breaking balls don't have as much movement at high altitude. Smoltz plans to rely on breaking balls this season more than ever before.

After spending the past five seasons with the Mets, Glavine said he also didn't mind waiting to face them a little later than the first week of the season. "It gives me a chance to get my feet on the ground," he said.

But it was Smoltz's idea to switch. He approached Glavine as soon as it appeared Friday's game might get postponed.

"I didn't even have time to think about it," Glavine said, smiling. "He kind of threw it on me when I walked in. I didn't even get a chance to sit down. It was like, 'Man do I have a proposition for you.' I said, 'This should be interesting. ...'"

Smoltz has been recovering from a sore shoulder, and he and the Braves hope to prevent it from becoming a nagging problem like it was in 2007.

"Last year we tried to keep him in all the hot places as much as we could when we made out the rotation," Cox said.

Johnson misses start, still delivers

Kelly Johnson said his right knee felt better when he tested it running before Saturday's game. "I'm not going to say it's perfect, but I can definitely play," Johnson said after doing some sprints and turns in the outfield.

After getting the report on the test from trainer Jeff Porter, Cox decided to rest the second baseman for the third consecutive game.

"Let's get him another day and see what happens," the manager said.

Utility man Martin Prado filled in again and had a couple of shaky plays, including a bobble that wiped out a potential inning-ending double play in the second inning. A run scored on the play.

However, Johnson had a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning to give the Braves a 9-3 lead.