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Braves-Mets Preview

Sep 23, 2009 - 5:00 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Atlanta (80-70) at New York (65-86), 7:10 p.m. EDT

The Atlanta Braves are keeping their faint postseason alive with a late surge. Facing the woeful New York Mets has certainly helped them keep winning.

The Braves will try to notch their seventh straight road victory and eighth in a row over the Mets on Wednesday night.

Atlanta (81-70) will also search for its 10th win in 12 games, but remains five back of Colorado for the wild card and 7 1/2 behind division-leading Philadelphia with time running out in both races.

"We're doing everything we can. We need somebody else to lose once in a while," manager Bobby Cox said.

The Braves could make it exciting with a little luck and if they can continue to beat up on the NL East's two worst teams. After facing the Mets (65-87) for the final time this season Wednesday, they play seven against major league-worst Washington and three versus Florida.

Atlanta will first try to finish 7-2 at Citi Field this season and with the most wins by an opposing team at the Mets' new home. The Marlins also won six games in New York this year.

However, the status of All-Star catcher Brian McCann is unknown. He left Tuesday night's 3-1 win with a bruised left wrist after getting hit with a foul ball in the third inning. X-rays were negative and he is day to day.

McCann, hitting .285 with 20 homers and 88 RBIs this season, had batted a team-best .457 with 13 RBIs over his last 11 games. Adam LaRoche is also hitting .400 with three homers and 13 RBIs since Sept. 10.

LaRoche drove in a run Tuesday, and Yunel Escobar hit a two-run single in a rare slow night for Braves hitters. Over the last 12 games, they've batted .300 while averaging nearly six runs.

Martin Prado, who had two hits Tuesday, is 15 for 28 (.536) in his last seven games.

The Braves hope to give veteran right-hander Tim Hudson a boost as he tries to rebound from his first loss since returning from Tommy John surgery on Sept. 1.

Hudson (1-1, 3.70 ERA) received only one run from his teammates in seven innings of Friday night's 9-4 loss to Philadelphia. He allowed three runs - on two Ryan Howard homers - and six hits in his first defeat since July 9, 2008.

Hudson is 9-5 with a 3.82 ERA in 15 starts against the Mets and won his previous matchup May 22, 2008, at Turner Field. He is 5-3 with a 3.68 ERA in eight outings in New York but has lost his past two starts there.

Losers of 12 of 15, the Mets will counter with Mike Pelfrey (10-11, 5.10), who has a 7.04 ERA in his last five starts.

To avoid his fourth loss in six starts, Pelfrey can't repeat his previous meeting with the Braves on July 17. The right-hander tied a career worst by allowing nine runs over 4 1-3 innings in an 11-0 loss at Atlanta. He's 2-4 with a 6.36 ERA in eight starts against the Braves.

He suffered another defeat Friday night against Washington by allowing his first home runs at home since June 10. The Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Bard each hit two-run shots off Pelfrey.