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Mets try to rebound from routs in series finale

Sep 28, 2006 - 1:06 PM NY Mets (93-65) at Atlanta (77-81) 7:35 pm EDT

ATLANTA (Ticker) - The New York Mets certainly have not resembled a playoff club in their last two outings. The Mets look to rebound when they play the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a three-game series on Thursday.

Chipper Jones, Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann each had three RBI to lead the Braves to a 13-1 rout of the Mets on Wednesday. New York starter Pedro Martinez was torched for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.

New York has been outscored by 25-1 in the first two games of the series.

The Mets, who will be the top seed in the National League playoffs, send Orlando Hernandez (10-11, 4.81 ERA) to the mound on Thursday.

Hernandez, who posted a 2-1 record but a 6.65 ERA in four August starts, has rebounded nicely lately. The righthander is only 1-2 but has a 2.39 ERA in four September outings.

The Braves counter with Kyle Davies (3-6, 8.25), who will try to rebound from a disastrous start on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies in which he surrendered nine runs in 2 1/3 innings of a 10-9 setback.