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Braves-Mets Preview

Aug 18, 2009 - 4:12 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Atlanta (61-56) at New York (55-62), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Braves can't afford many injuries as they continue their playoff push. With a long list of players on the disabled list, the New York Mets are virtually out of contention.

Coming off a strong game at the plate despite missing Nate McLouth, the Braves look to take advantage of a makeshift Mets team Tuesday night.

Atlanta (62-56) is alive in the NL East hunt, trailing Philadelphia by 5 1/2 games, and is three behind Colorado for the wild-card lead. Hoping to make the postseason for the first time in four years, the Braves acquired McLouth from Pittsburgh on June 3, got Ryan Church in a deal with New York (55-63) seven days later and picked up Adam LaRoche from Boston on July 31.

The trio has given Atlanta's lineup a boost, but McLouth was put on the disabled list Monday with a sore left hamstring. The center fielder left Saturday's 4-3 win over Philadelphia after aggravating the injury, which forced him to miss two games last week.

McLouth is batting .258 with 15 homers and 56 RBIs.

Church started in center field Monday and drove in three runs in a 9-4 win over Arizona.

Church will likely get a start again as the Braves open a three-game series with his former teammates, who are missing all of their top threats at the plate. New York has been without Jose Reyes (calf), Carlos Beltran (knee) and Carlos Delgado (hip) for most of the season, and had to put David Wright (concussion) on the DL after he was hit on the helmet by a pitch against San Francisco on Saturday.

"I think all this stuff with David ... just kind of wears you down a little bit," said right fielder Jeff Francoeur, who was acquired in exchange for Church.

The only significant threat left in the Mets' lineup is 40-year-old left fielder Gary Sheffield, who drove in New York's only run in a 10-1 loss to San Francisco on Monday night. New York has lost 12 of 19, falling 12 1/2 games behind Philadelphia.

The Mets will next have to contend with Derek Lowe (12-7, 4.08 ERA), a player they pursued heavily in free agency this past offseason.

Lowe, who rejected offers from New York before signing with Atlanta, is 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his last seven starts. The veteran right-hander gave up two runs in seven innings to earn a 6-2 victory over Washington on Wednesday night.

Lowe is 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA in four career starts against the Mets.

New York will counter with Oliver Perez (2-3, 5.97), who was signed to a three-year, $36 million deal after the Mets failed to lure Lowe.

Perez has posted a 2.16 ERA without receiving a decision over his last three starts. He continues to have control problems, though, walking 13 in his last 16 2-3 innings.

The left-hander walked six against Arizona on Wednesday but gave up one run and struck out seven in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-4 victory.

Perez is 6-4 with a 3.53 ERA in 15 starts versus the Braves.