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Mets turn to Perez with season on the line

Sep 28, 2008 - 7:39 AM Florida (83-77) at NY Mets (89-72), 1:10 pm EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- The New York Mets' season is riding on the erratic arm of Oliver Perez.

Needing a win to guarantee at least a one-game playoff for the National League wild-card spot, Perez takes the mound hoping to close the curtain in Shea Stadium's final regular game on a positive note when the Mets take on the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

The Mets and Milwaukee Brewers (89-72) are locked in a tie for the NL wild card. If New York fails to win, it needs Milwaukee to lose to the NL Central-champion Chicago Cubs (97-63) to force a deciding game, which would be played on Monday in New York.

The Brewers and Cubs face each other nearly an hour after the start of this game.

Perez (10-7, 4.25 ERA) was roughed up for five runs and six hits over 4 2/3 frames against the Cubs on Wednesday. He also walked five while laboring through 105 pitches, but didn't factor in the Mets' 9-6, 10-inning loss.

New York manager Jerry Manuel hopes he can come close to matching the outing Johan Santana turned in on Saturday on short rest. Taking the mound just three days after tossing a career-high 125 pitches, the Mets' $137.5 million ace hurled a three-hit, 117-pitch complete game that kept their playoff hopes alive.

The season came down to the final day last year, too. However, it didn't turn out the way the Mets hoped, as Tom Glavine was roughed up for seven runs in the first inning and the Marlins rolled to an 8-1 win, capping one of the most historic collapses in baseball history.

The Mets blew a seven-game lead in the East with 17 games left and those sour memories seeped into this season.

Perez has come up big in tight spots, hurling six stellar innings and allowing one run and four hits in Game Seven of the 2006 NL Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals - a game the Mets lost in the ninth inning.

Florida counters with Scott Olsen (8-11, 4.23), who yielded six runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 frames of a 6-2 loss to the Mets on August 31.

The 24-year-old lefthander has surrendered four or more runs in four of his last seven outings.