Johan Santana returned from a long absence to pitch five scoreless innings on opening day and the New York Mets held on for a 1-0 victory on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field.

The Mets scored their lone run in the sixth inning when David Wright singled home Andres Torres. That one run was enough for the Mets, who used Santana's first start since Sept. 2, 2010 to spark a team shutout.

Santana, who missed all of 2011 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate capsule in his left shoulder, gave up two hits and two walks while striking out five during five innings. Ramon Ramirez picked up the victory.

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