Fans who prefer pitching duels in Major League Baseball could be in for a treat on Thursday, as a pair of aces will go toe-to-toe when the Atlanta Braves host the New York Mets at Turner Field in the final of a four-game series between these National League East rivals. BetOnline.com has the New York Mets –123 odds favorites against the Atlanta Braves +103 with the total set at 7.5 runs.
29-year-old Johan Santana (5-2, 3.30) has gotten used to the National League in a hurry after joining the Mets from Minnesota, and the two-time Cy Young winner has now won his last four decisions. Santana gave up four runs on seven hits over 7 2/3 innings of a 7-4 win at Yankee Stadium in his first taste of the “Subway Series”, striking out five Yankees in the process. He has also received some run support from his offense, who have averaged seven runs per game over Santana's past six starts. Santana is now a sterling 4-1 on the road this season with an ERA of 2.81, but his lone loss came at Atlanta, when the ninth-year southpaw gave up one run on seven hits over seven innings as the Mets fell 3-1.
Tim Hudson (6-3, 3.06) had a three-game winning streak snapped in his last outing when he was shelled for five runs on five hits over five innings of a 5-4 loss at home to Oakland, while walking a season-high five batters. Previous to the Oakland game, the 32-year-old righthander had been excellent during that three-game streak, going 3-0 with a complete game while allowing three runs in 23 innings of work. Hudson got plenty of support when he faced the Mets for the first time in 2008, as he gave up three runs on six hits over six innings of an 11-6 victory at home.
The Mets and Braves have been banging heads for years now, but they also face stiff competition from Philadelphia and for the early part of the season, Florida. This makes the stakes for these head-to-head meetings even higher. The Braves won the first two games of this series by a combined score of 12-3, so the Mets would like to close out the set on a strong note. Look for Santana to gain some revenge on the Braves as the Mets wrap up the series with a much-needed victory on Thursday. Get your Free MLB Tip in Now!
New York Mets at Atlanta Braves – 7:10 PM ET
Free MLB Tip: New York Mets
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