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Glavine takes mound as Mets look to stay hot vs. Astros

Sep 8, 2007 - 1:03 PM Houston (62-79) at Ny Mets (79-61) 1:10 pm EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) - Tom Glavine wasn't sure he would return to the New York Mets this past offseason. Now, he is looking to help them to their second straight division title.

Glavine, who re-signed with New York instead re-joining his former team the Atlanta Braves in the offseason, takes the mound in the middle game of a three-game series with the Houston Astros on Saturday.

New York, which leads the Philadelphia Phillies (73-67) by six games and the Braves (72-69) by 7 1/2 games, posted an 11-3 victory in the opener on Friday. The Mets have won six of seven and are in the midst of a nine-game homestand, which will include visits from the Phillies and Braves.

Lastings Milledge and Carlos Beltran homered Friday the Mets, who have scored 10 or more runs in three of its last four games.

Glavine (12-6, 4.06 ERA) has had great success against the Astros. The 41-year-old lefthander is 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 15 career starts against Houston, but hasn't faced them in two years. Glavine, who is unbeaten in his last 11 starts, allowed one run and five hits in six innings of a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Sunday.

Houston, which has lost three straight, and has the worst road record in baseball (26-46) sends Woody Williams (8-13, 4.95) to the mound. Williams, who has allowed two runs or less in five of his last six starts, yielded one run and four hits in five innings, but did not factor into the decision in a 6-5 loss to Chicago on Saturday.