Braves will play Mets twice today
NEW YORK — Eager to lock up the National League East title after letting it slip away last season, the New York Mets will have to wait a day before beginning their taxing stretch drive.
New York's game against the Atlanta Braves was postponed by rain Friday night and will be made up Saturday as part of a single-admission doubleheader.
Johan Santana (13-7) is scheduled to pitch the opener for the NL East leaders against ex-Met Mike Hampton (2-2). Jonathon Niese gets his second major league start in the nightcap and will face Atlanta left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10).
New York pushed back Pedro Martinez until Monday night at Washington because it didn't want to be undecided about a starter twice in the four-game series. Missing injured righty John Maine, the Mets haven't announced a starter yet for Wednesday.
Before the rainout, Martinez (5-4) had been slated to get the ball today against the Braves. Instead, he'll pitch on seven days' rest Monday.
"I prefer to pitch when I was supposed to pitch. But given the current situation, I will pitch when it is more convenient to the team. I am a team player," he said. "Makes sense to me. I don't have a problem."
The 21-year-old Niese was roughed up in his debut Sept. 2 at Milwaukee but didn't get a decision. He's one of four left-handers scheduled to start in Saturday's doubleheader.
"How many times do you see that?" Braves manager Bobby Cox said.
The tarp stayed on the field all evening Friday and the game was called after a 90-minute delay.
Now, the Mets are scheduled to play 17 games over the final 16 days of the regular season, without a day off. New York is three games ahead of second-place Philadelphia — four up in the loss column — and desperately wants to erase the bitter memories of last September's embarrassing collapse.
The only way to do that is to close out the Phillies this time. The Mets led by seven games with 17 to play last season before finishing 5-12 as Philadelphia rallied to win the division crown.
"The demons that have haunted us for a whole year," manager Jerry Manuel, the bench coach last season, said Friday. "Even if you were not a part of it, you knew about it. It's probably something that gets expressed daily here."
For the Braves, third baseman Chipper Jones wasn't in the lineup because of a stiff back. He spent much of the afternoon in the trainer's room.
Today: Atlanta at New York Mets
2:55 p.m. (FOX 6, 1580 AM), 6:30 p.m. (1580 AM)
