Series preview: vs Mets
When (TV); 7:10 p.m. today (FSSO); 7:10 p.m. Tuesday (SPSO); 12:10 p.m. Wednesday (SPSO)
Radio: 680, 93.7, 100.5
Today: Braves RH Tommy Hanson (1-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. RH Dillon Gee (0-1, 5.06 ERA)
Tuesday: Braves RH Randall Delgado (1-0, 3.60) vs. LH Johan Santana (0-1, 0.90)
Wednesday: Braves RH Jair Jurrjens (0-1, 7.71) vs. RH R.A. Dickey (2-0, 2.08)
About the Braves:
Batting: The Braves scored only two runs in the first 24 innings in a three-game season-opening series against the Mets. Chipper Jones homered in two of his first three games back from knee surgery. He is hitting .318 with 48 home runs for his career against the Mets, the fourth best total against the Mets of any hitter. Jason Heyward is 4-for-10 with a homer and five walks vs. Gee.
Pitching: Hanson has allowed only three runs in 10 innings, going five innings in each of his starts. He faced the Mets on Opening Day, giving up one run in five innings, walking three and striking out four but got beat 1-0 by Johan Santana. Hanson has kept David Wright in check, who is 3-for-20 off him. Craig Kimbrel is a perfect 4-for-4 in saves.
Miscellaneous: The Braves are 5-1 since getting swept in three games in New York to start the season.
About the Mets:
Batting: The Mets out-hit the Braves .320 (31-for-97) to .150 (14-for-93) in the season-opening series. Wright went 6-for-9 with a home run in that series. He missed three games with a broken pinkie but came back Saturday to go 3-for-5 with a homer against the Phillies, making him 11-for-18 (.611) on the year.
Pitching: This is Gee's first appearance against the Braves in 2012, after going 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six starts against them in 2011 in his first full major league season. He won his first two starts vs. the Braves last year, allowing one run in 12 2/3 innings, but was winless in his last four, allowing 11 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings. Santana and Dickey combined to allow the Braves only two runs in 11 innings April 5 and 7 in New York.
Miscellaneous: The Mets have a finger-injury epidemic. First, it was Wright, then Jason Bay was scratched Sunday with a jammed right ring finger. They are 6-3 after taking two of three from the Phillies over the weekend.
-Carroll Rogers
