Meet the Mets!

Ugh, do we have to meet the Muts, or Metrosexuals, or Metatags (nerd alert)?

The Mets are the class of the National League right now. There is no other way of putting that. In the NL, they have the best record, their pythagorean is also the best, and they are also playing hot. In their last ten games, they are 7-3. That number goes up to an NL-best 13-7 in the past 20.

Meanwhile, the Braves are in a tailspin. Losers of six of their last eight, the Braves need to take at least two games from the Mets, who have been an NL Best 14-5 on the road. If they do not, it's going to be catch up from now on and the Braves simply are not playing well enough to get into catch-up mood.

The Mets will run two of their hottest and the old faithful, Tom Glavine at us, while the Braves have one of their two aces going. Only Milwaukee has been better than the Braves at home and they need to show it.

First up is our old buddy, Jorge Sosa. Here is a fun story about Sosa. Last year, in one game, he blew two leads. If it were possible to blow two save opportunities in one game, he would have done that. However, since his promotion from AAA New Orleans, Sosa is pitching the best baseball of his career and that includes 2005's flukey work. In three games, he's won all three starts and allowed NINE hits in 20 innings. You want hopeful signs? I don't got any. The only thing I can possibly point out is that Sosa is pitching a little different from how he was at N'Orleans. He was giving up hits and not walking batters there. With the Mets, he has been walking batters (8), but not giving up hits. Hopefully, for our sake, he combines the negatives of his work in Cajan Country and the Big Apple and gets his ass whipped.

Meanwhile, Oliver Perez is next. I told everyone that before this year, Oliver Perez would end up being a solid pickup. However, I didn't think he would be this solid. Almost a K an inning and 38 hits in 49.2 ING? Jesus. In his last two games against the Brewers and Yankees (hardly shitty-hitting teams), he has allowed three runs in 16 innings. Ladies and gents, Olli Perez is back and I'm scared, especially considering how he has brutalized Atlanta so far this year (2-0, 1.97, 15 K's).

Finally, Smoltz vs. Glavine Part Three. What more can be said about this? Knowing Smoltzie, I would be downright amazed to see him _not_ get a win here. 200th win, facing Glavine, and in Atlanta? Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to see Smoltzie look even better than he did against the BoSox.

Toughass series. Braves going to need to shake off the cobwebs from a horrible road trip. Otherwise, we can start to think about where we stand in the wild card.

Pitching Matchups
Tuesday: Jorge Sosa vs. Kyle Davies
Wednesday: Oliver Perez vs. Chuck James
Thursday: Tom Glavine vs. John Smoltz