On the Mets beat

Good evening Mets enthusiasts, Chris Mascaro here to bring you all of tonight's live game action, the first-place Metropolitans (70-57) look for a three-game sweep of the Braves (56-71).

For the Mets, who have gone 12-4 since getting swept in Houston at the beginning of month, it would be their fifth three-game sweep of the season. However, they are just 4-7 against Atlanta this season.

Last night, the Mets got off to a fast start and Mike Pelfrey did the rest, throwing a complete-game three-hitter for his team-leading 12th win of the season.

Tonight Jerry Manuel hands the ball to Pedro Martinez (4-3, 4.96 ERA), who has been very good in August despite a 1-1 record in the month. His last time out, Pedro averted disaster against the Pirates, as he allowed eight hits over seven innings, but just one run. (He also singled and scored a run.)

Old friend Mike Hampton (2-1, 6.92) takes the hill for the Braves. Hampton spent one productive season in a Mets jersey in the team's World Series year, but then bolted to Colorado for big bucks in the offseason (he cited the city's school system as one of the main reasons why he left). He had two terrible seasons there before heading to Atlanta, where he prospered in 2003 and 2004 before elbow injuries set in, forcing him to miss all of the last two seasons.

Hampton's win on Saturday over the Giants — in which he pitched six innings of two-run ball — was his first victory in Atlanta since August 14, 2005. Both of his wins this season have come against San Francisco.

The two Mets with the most experience against Hampton are Luis Castillo and Moises Alou. Both obviously are not in tonight's lineup. But many who will be in the lineup have solid numbers against the southpaw, with David Wright and Damion Easley being the notable exceptions. Wright is batting .351 in his last 14 games, though.

Mets beat writer David Lennon gave you the Mets lineup earlier (he also has an update on Ryan Church). Now here are the starting nine for Atlanta:

1. Escobar, SS
2. Kotsay, CF
3. Jones, 3B
4. McCann, C
5. Infante, LF
6. Johnson, 2B
7. Francoeur, RF
8. Prado, 1B
9. Hampton, P (a career .244 hitter with 15 homers)

Okay, well that's all for now. Be sure to keep your comments coming in the chat box below and vote on the poll questions! We'll be back with updates after every half inning.

We're about 15 minutes from baseball on SNY!

Top of the 1st: Yunel Escobar hit Pedro's first pitch of the game out of the park to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead. It was the seventh homer of the season for Escobar and the second time this season Martinez has given up a homer on his first pitch of the game (San Diego's Jody Gerut also did it).

Kotsay and Chipper Jones grounded out, and McCann lined out to Delgado to end the inning.

Bottom of the 1st: Reyes singled to center for his first hit in nine at bats. Nick Evans, in a bid for his first career homer, lifted a ball to the left-field warning track for the first out.

David Wright walked, but Beltran grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice for the second out. Delgado picked up the team with a two-out single up the middle to score Reyes and tie the game at 1.

Tatis grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Top of the 2nd: Omar Infante struck out swinging for the first out before Kelly Johnson singled to center. Francoeur flied out, and with Prado batting, Johnson was thrown out by Castro trying to steal second.

Castro has thrown out five of 17 would-be base stealers this season (29.4%).

Bottom of the 2nd: Easley singled to center to lead off the inning (bad numbers against Hampton be damned! [see above for explanation]). Castro flied to right in front of Pedro, who bunted Easley over to second. But Reyes grounded to short to end the inning.

Hampton has thrown 40 pitches thus far.

Top of the 3rd: A 1-2-3 inning for Pedro, as Prado grounded to short, Hampton struck out (Pedro's second strikeout tonight) and Escobar grounded to third (nice stop by Wright).

Pedro has 38 pitches through three innings.

Bottom of the 3rd: Evans struck out looking on a questionable 3-and-2 pitch (he started jogging towards first). Wright ripped a double down the left-field line (his 35th of the season), and moved to third on Beltran's groundout.

He scored on Delgado's second hit tonight with two outs and runners in scoring position to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Tatis also singled, but Easley grounded to second to end the rally.

Delgado has 83 RBIs on the season.

Top of the 4th: Kotsay and Chipper flied to center before McCann's two-out single. Infante dribbled one towards the mound, which Pedro deftly gathered and fired to first to end the inning.

Bottom of the 4th: Groundouts by Castro (to short) and Reyes (to third) sandwiched a fly out to right by Pedro for Hampton's first 1-2-3 inning tonight.

Top of the 5th: Pedro has his second 1-2-3 inning tonight, as Johnson flies to center, Francoeur grounds to third (nice barehanded grab and throw by Wright) and Prado strikes out looking.

Pedro has 61 pitches through five pitches.

Bottom of the 5th: Evans flied out to left for the first out, and then Wright flied to left — just deeper. He lifted a 3-and-1 pitch into the left-center field bleachers to give the Mets a 3-1 lead. (Again, bad numbers against Hampton be damned! Although, the Mets haven't seen him in three years, so he's certainly a different pitcher.)

Anyway, it was Wright's 25th homer and 98th RBI of the season.

Beltran grounded out to third before Delgado doubled to right (his third hit of the night). But Tatis lined one right to Kelly Johnson for the third out.

Hampton is up to 88 pitches.

Top of the 6th: Hampton grounded out to short and then Escobar doubled to left (his second extra-base hit of the night). Kotsay struck out swinging on a nice changeup by Pedro (his fourth K tonight).

Then Chipper walked and McCann made Pedro pay with a double to right (his second hit of the evening) to score Escobar and Jones and tie the game at 3.

Infante then blooped a single just beyond the reach of Easley to score McCann and put the Braves up 4-3.

Johnson popped to third to end the inning.

Rough inning for Pedro, who know has 86 pitches.

Bottom of the 6th: A 1-2-3 inning for Hampton (his second tonight), as Easley struck out swinging, Castro flied to center and Pedro lined one right at Francoeur in right.

Top of 7th: Pedro got Francoeur to ground out to second, and then struck out Prado and Hampton looking for his third 1-2-3 inning of the evening.

He has 99 pitches and six K's and could be done for the night.

Bottom of the 7th: Righty Jeff Bennett came on in relief of Hampton, who pitched six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk with one strikeout. He threw exactly 100 pitches.

Bennett got Reyes to ground out to short for the first out, but then Evans lined a double down the left-field line. Wright struck out swinging on a nice 3-and-2 slider before Beltran walked.

Then for the third straight night, Bobby Cox brought in lefty Will Ohman (3-0, 3.20) to face Delgado.

Prado made a diving stop on Delgado's rope to first. But his throw to Ohman (running to cover the bag) went awry, allowing Delgado to reach and Evans to score the tying run. Mets and Braves tied at 4.

Cox brought in Julian Tavarez to face Tatis, who drove one right to the edge of the left-center field wall for the third out.

Top of the 8th: Pedro allowed a leadoff single to Escobar and his night was over. Pedro Feliciano came in for his league-leading 67th appearance and promptly induced a 2-6-3 double play on Kotsay's swinging bunt.

After Feliciano walked Jones and gave up a single to McCann, Manuel brought in newly-acquired righty Luis Ayala, who got Infante to fly out to center on the first pitch.

Pedro went 7+ innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts. He threw 101 pitches.

Feliciano allowed a hit and a walk in his 2/3 of an inning.

Bottom of the 8th: Tavarez got Easley to pop out to first and Castro to ground to short before Endy Chavez (hitting in the pitcher's spot) singled on a 3-and-2 pitch. But Reyes flew out to center to end the inning.

Top of the 9th: Ayala induced groundouts by Johnson and Francoeur before a two-out single by Prado, who moved to second on a passed ball during pinch-hitter Gregor Blanco's at-bat.

But Easley made a nice play on Blanco's grounder to end the inning (although replays showed Blanco was safe).

Bottom of the 9th: Righty Vladimir Nunez came on for the Braves in relief of Tavarez, who pitched 1 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.

Nunez got Evans to fly out to right before Wright doubled to right-center (his third hit of the night). Beltran was intentionally walked in front of Delgado, who lined one to left. But Infante misplayed the ball off his glove (Delgado was awarded a hit), allowing Wright to score and give the Mets a 5-4 win. Crazy game.

That's the ballgame folks. Mets earn the sweep.

Mets: 71-57
Braves: 56-72

*Mets lead the Phillies (who lost to Washington tonight, 4-3) by 2.5 games

WP--Ayala (2-8) *1st win as a Met
LP--Nunez (0-1)

HR: NY 1 (Wright, 25); ATL 1 (Escobar, 7)

Here are your three stars for the evening:
1. Delgado: 5-for-5 (matching a career high), with four RBIs
2. Wright: 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs
3. Ayala: 1 1/3 IP, one hit for his first win with the Mets

As always, it was my pleasure to bring you all of tonight's live game action. What a crazy game. I'll see ya'll soon. Thanks for coming out!