THIS IS IT

Ramirez gets first shot at Mets
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com 07/27/2006 6:10 PM ET

The rivalry is nothing new. But this time its players are in unfamiliar positions.

The fourth series of the season between the Braves and the Mets will begin on Friday night at Turner Field with Atlanta staring up—way up—in the standings with New York leading the way.

It’s been nearly two months since the Braves and Mets last tangoed, and boy how the picture in the National League East has since changed. When Atlanta left New York on May 7 after salvaging one game in a three-game set, the Braves found themselves eight games out of first place, but sensing that, with four months of baseball left to play, the top spot in the division was still well within reach.

Now there are just over two months left and Atlanta has dug the hole a little deeper. But even a 12-game deficit leading into the weekend series can’t deter the Braves from holding out hope that their string of 14 consecutive division titles won’t be coming to an abrupt end this year.

“Our focus is the division,” Marcus Giles said. “I know that’s a little far-fetched and stupid to say, I guess, but we are. We really are. Who knows, things can turn around so quick. Anything can happen in two weeks.”

Atlanta has jumped out to an 8-4 record since the All-Star break. The offense has also finally woken up from its June funk and leads the Majors in myriad categories, including batting average, runs scored and home runs.

So the team’s insistence that the division title is still within reach isn’t entirely unfounded, even if it is still a long shot at best. Friday’s game marks the first of nine games the N.L. East rivals have against each other during the remainder of the season.

Remember, these are the Braves, perennial winners who always find a way to quiet the naysayers just as people start to write them off. Not to get too far ahead, but if Atlanta can find a way to pull out the brooms against New York, the bandwagon just might be getting a little heftier by week’s end.

“You never know. You put a sweep on and you’re back to within single games in the division,” Jeff Francoeur said. “We’re just first worried about getting back to .500. We’re climbing there. Once we get to .500, then you starting putting a couple over .500 and you can start making a run at things.”

The Braves would need to sweep New York to pull back to within nine games and realistically step back into the NL East picture. But the Mets are going to make it tough, sending three seasoned veterans to the mound in the series, with Pedro Martinez leading the way.

New York will be welcoming back Martinez, who has been sidelined since June 28 with inflammation in his right hip and then food poisoning. But after an 80-pitch bullpen session last weekend, Martinez appears ready to go.

And the Braves are poised to go right after him.

“We just have to come out firing tomorrow,” Giles said on Thursday. “I don’t want to look too much into the weekend as a whole versus just tomorrow. We need to just focus on Pedro and tomorrow and just get it done.”

Taking the mound for Atlanta will be Horacio Ramirez, who allowed only a single run in each of his past two starts. Take away his nightmarish outing against Cincinnati on July 7, when he allowed seven runs in one-plus inning of work, and Ramirez has allowed only six earned runs in his past 34 2/3 innings pitched.

Though winning the first game of the series is pivotal for the Braves, Ramirez said he isn’t reading too much into a marquee matchup with Martinez. Instead, the Atlanta southpaw is determined to treat Friday’s start like he would any other.

“I think every series is a big series right now,” said Ramirez, who will be making his first start of the season against New York. “I’m approaching it like I’ve approached my last few games—staying relaxed and keep the ball down. If I can do that, it’ll be a good performance.”

The Braves’ current six-game homestand got off to an inauspicious start with Atlanta dropping two of three games to a pesky Florida club. The series loss snapped a string of six straight series victories, dating back to a series win against Baltimore from June 30 to July 2.

But when the Braves take the field Friday evening, a series loss to the Marlins will be the last thing on their minds. Anytime the Mets arrive in Atlanta, it’s a big-time series. And with a streak of division titles on the line, the big-time stage has been set.

“Anything can happen. A combination of them getting cold and us getting hot, and this division’s a different story,” Giles said. “We’ve got to come out playing. The character we have on this team, I don’t expect anything less tomorrow. You’re going to see a quality game out of us tomorrow.”

Pitching matchup
NYM: RHP Pedro Martinez (7-4, 3.45 ERA)
Martinez will look to make it a perfect 3-for-3 against the Braves this season when he takes the mound in Friday’s series opener. In Martinez’s two starts against Atlanta earlier this season, he picked up two wins while allowing five runs and only 10 hits in 13 2/3 innings. He also had an impressive 13 strikeouts during the two appearances.

ATL: LHP Horacio Ramirez (5-3, 4.04 ERA)
Ramirez is 3-2 with a 4.26 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets. The Atlanta left-hander has given up seven home runs and surrendered 19 walks in those nine games. Ramirez will be making his first start at home since a nightmarish outing against Cincinnati back on July 7, when he lasted only one-plus inning and allowed seven runs.

Player to watch
Though he has struggled against Martinez in years past, Andruw Jones had two hits, including a two-run home run, off of Martinez in the two starts the New York right-hander made against the Braves in April. Jones had also been on a roll as of late, batting .353 with five home runs and 14 RBIs in nine games before going 0-for-4 in Thursday’s series finale against Florida.

Today’s Line
FAVORITE OPEN CUR UNDERDOG O/U
ATLANTA -110 0 NEW YORK —
Season Series
New York leads 5-4
Mon 4/17 @NYM 4, ATL 3 Recap
Tue 4/18 ATL 7, @NYM 1 Recap
Wed 4/19 ATL 2, @NYM 1 Recap
Fri 4/28 NYM 5, @ATL 2 Recap
Sat 4/29 NYM 1, @ATL 0 Recap
Sun 4/30 @ATL 8, NYM 5 Recap
Fri 5/5 @NYM 8, ATL 7 Recap
Sat 5/6 @NYM 6, ATL 5 Recap
Sun 5/7 ATL 13, @NYM 3 Recap
Jul 28, 2006NYM (Martinez) @ ATL (Ramirez) 7:35 PM ET
Jul 29, 2006NYM (Hernandez) @ ATL (Hudson) 1:20 PM ET
Jul 30, 2006NYM (Glavine) @ ATL (James) 1:05 PM ET
Sep 4, 2006ATL @ NYM 7:10 PM ET
Sep 5, 2006ATL @ NYM 7:10 PM ET
Sep 6, 2006ATL @ NYM 1:10 PM ET
Sep 26, 2006NYM @ ATL 7:35 PM ET
Sep 27, 2006NYM @ ATL 7:35 PM ET
Sep 28, 2006NYM @ ATL 7:35 PM ET

Braves, Braves vs Mets, Sports