Game 2: San Diego - Jon Garland (6-3, 2.68) New York - Jonathon Niese (2-2, 4.28)
(Sports Network) - Mother Nature played a role in major league baseball last night and both the Mets and Padres fell victim to rain in the New York area. Both clubs are slated for a day-night doubleheader Thursday at Citi Field.
The first contest is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. (et) and the second matchup is set to take place at 7:10 p.m. (et). Clear skies are expected for the first game, but weather could be a factor in the nightcap.
New York will try once more for its 10th straight win at home in the continuation of this three-game set versus the Padres. It posted the ninth straight victory at home with Tuesday's dramatic 2-1 win in 11 innings on rookie Ike Davis' game-winning solo home run. Jose Reyes also went deep and starter Mike Pelfrey allowed one run on five hits over nine innings of work. Elmer Dessens got an out in the 11th for the win.
"Considering I've been going through a rough patch and not making hard contact, it made it even better," said Davis. "It was awesome, to win a game with one swing is amazing."
New York, which has won four straight overall, improved to 23-9 as the host this season and is two games off the lead in the National League East. It is also 11-4 in its last 15 games and unbeaten on a six-game residency.
Mets ace Johan Santana has recorded just one decision in his last six starts, going 1-0 with a 1.42 earned run average, and will take the mound this afternoon. Santana hasn't factored into the outcome of his last two starts and hurled seven shutout innings in a 5-1 loss at San Diego the previous time out on Wednesday. He is 2-2 with a 1.99 ERA in six career starts against the Padres.
Santana, who went eight scoreless frames in his previous outing on May 28 at Milwaukee, last won on May 23 at home versus the rival New York Yankees. He is 4-1 in six home starts in 2010 and 4-2 overall in 12 appearances.
San Diego lost its grip on the National League West lead with Tuesday's loss and had a modest two-game winning streak come to an end.
Edward Mujica gave up the solo blast to Davis in the home half of the 11th inning to suffer the loss, while starterClayton Richard was solid through seven innings, allowing just one run on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.
"Clayton pitched well, made some critical pitches at key times to get through the middle of their order a number of times. It's great to see," said Padres manager Bud Black.
Adrian Gonzalez doubled home the lone run for San Diego, which was coming off a four-game split in Philadelphia and moved to 2-3 on a seven-game road trip. The Padres will head back to San Diego after this series to begin a nine-game homestand at Petco Park and are one game behind Los Angeles in the division.
San Diego will send young right-hander Mat Latos against the Mets today and he hopes to get back into the win column after having an unbeaten run come to an end the last time out. Latos was 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in five starts before losing at Philadelphia on Friday.
Latos gave up three runs and four hits in five innings of a 3-2 loss to the Phillies, while recording six strikeouts and four walks. The setback dropped him to 5-4 in 11 starts this season and pushed his ERA to 3.26. Latos, who is 3-2 in six road starts in 2010, beat the Mets the only time he faced them on August 8 last season in a 3-1 triumph. Latos tossed six innings of one-run ball that day and fanned seven batters.
Jon Garland will take the hill for the Friars in the nightcap. He started his first season as a Padre with back-to-back losses, but followed that slump by going 6-0 with a 1.58 earned run average over the next nine outings. However, Garland reverted back to his losing ways in Saturday's 6-2 loss at Philadelphia, as he allowed all six runs on 10 hits and no walks in seven innings.
Garland, who is 3-3 in six road starts this season, will try to stay unbeaten in his career against the Mets. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career matchups -- all starts -- with New York.
The Mets hope that Jonathan Niese can fare well in his first stint against the Padres when he opposes Garland on the hill. Niese is coming off a solid performance versus Florida on Saturday in which he recorded seven innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts in a 6-1 decision.
Niese, who lasted just two innings in a loss at the Marlins the start before that on May 16, had been on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. The left-hander is 2-2 in nine starts this season and lowered his earned run average to 4.28 in the recent win over Florida.
San Diego just won a three-game series versus the Mets at Petco Park from May 31-June 2 and is 14-6 in the past 20 meetings between the teams.