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Perez, Mets try to hold off Braves

Aug 7, 2007 - 1:34 PM Atlanta (59-53) at NY Mets (63-48) 7:10 pm EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- After an impressive road swing, the New York Mets hand the ball to Oliver Perez when they face their closest pursuer.

Perez and the Mets aim to increase their lead in the National League East Division when they open a three-game series vs. the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

New York defeated the Chicago Cubs, 8-3, on Sunday, watching Tom Glavine gain his 300th career victory in the process.

The win allowed the Mets to finish 4-2 on a six-game road trip against the Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers, the two best teams in the NL Central.

Atlanta has kept pace, winning five of seven to remain within 4 1/2 games of New York.

Perez (10-7, 3.00 ERA) takes the mound looking to remain perfect vs. the Braves in 2007. The lefthander, who is 5-3 in nine career starts vs. Atlanta, is 3-0 with a 1.31 ERA vs. the Braves this season.

Perez is also 3-1 in four outings since the All-Star break, including an 8-5 win over the Brewers last Wednesday, when he struck out a season-high 11 batters.

Buddy Carlyle (6-3, 4.20) toes the rubber for the Braves looking for his fifth win in his last six starts.

The righthander yielded two runs in five innings of a 12-3 win vs. the Houston Astros last Wednesday. In that contest, the 29-year-old had to leave the game after hyperextending his right elbow while swinging at a pitch in the bottom of the fifth.

"I took too big of a swing at an offspeed pitch," Carlyle said. "My arm is fine."