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Mets send Santana to hill to face Padres

May 26, 2012 - 2:28 PM (Sports Network) - The Mets have lost the last three times Johan Santana has taken the ball, but the veteran left-hander enters Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres on a personal six-game unbeaten string.

Santana got his sixth no-decision of the season in a 5-4 Mets loss at Pittsburgh on Monday. He pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and recorded seven strikeouts in the 96-pitch effort. He's 1-0 over his last six outings and hasn't lost since April 17 at Atlanta.

In seven all-time starts against the Padres, Santana has logged a 2-3 record with a 2.47 ERA.

Since snapping a personal five-start losing streak, Clayton Richard has pitched well for the Padres, throwing at least seven innings in each of his last two starts. Following a May 16 win over the Dodgers, Richard tossed 7 1/3 frames of two-run ball in a no-decision at St. Louis on Monday.

The left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA in three career starts against the Mets.

Last night, Dillon Gee tossed seven innings of one-run ball to lead the Mets to a 6-1 win.

Gee (4-3) scattered four hits and three walks while striking out a career-high nine batters in New York's fourth win in six games.

"Strikeouts a lot of time are just a matter of luck," Gee said. "Obviously you make some good pitches you get some strikeouts. Nine for me, that's a lot. It's just one of those nights I guess where they're missing some good pitches."

Lucas Duda had a home run and scored twice, and Ike Davis added two RBI for the Mets.

Anthony Bass (2-5) allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings to suffer the loss.

Jesus Guzman knocked in the lone run for the Padres, who dropped their fourth decision in five games.

"As the game went on, a couple of balls that were left over the plate, they capitalized," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Conversely, we had some guys on base and couldn't capitalize."

San Diego had won its last three games at Citi Field prior to Friday's loss.