On the Mets beat

Good evening Mets fans. Marcus Henry is back after a bit of a hiatus to take you through game one of this four-game set between the Mets and the Astros.

Mets (71-57) vs. Astros (64-63) 7:10

Starters: Johan Santana (11-7, 2.75 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets, while Roy Oswalt (11-8, 4.28) will stand on the hill for Houston.

Santana proved to the world why the Mets paid him so much money in his last start as he struck out seven in a three-hit shutout for his team in a 4-0 win over the Pirates. Santana is 3-0 with three no decisions in his last six starts and has given up just nine runs in his last 46.1 innings.

Oswalt was just as stellar in his last start as he struck out 10 and gave up just one hit in eight innings of scoreless baseball in Houston's 3-0 win over the Diamondbacks on August 17. Oswalt is 5-0 in his last seven starts and has given up just 13 runs in his last 41 innings.

News and notes: Ryan Church is back in the lineup for the first time since July 5 and will hit seventh. Robinson Cancel was sent down to make room.

Top 1st: Former Met Ty Wigginton flied out to deep rightfield for the first out. Mark Loretta singled to leftfield. Miguel Tejada flied out to short leftfield for the second out. Lance Berkman struck out to end an 11-pitch at bat and the inning.
Mets 0, Houston 0

Bottom 1st: Jose Reyes singled to rightfield. Reyes stole second base. Argenis Reyes moved Jose Reyes to third with a sacrifice bunt. David Wright hit a bloop single to short rightfield to score Jose Reyes. Mets lead 1-0. Its the fifth straight game the Mets have scored in the first inning. Carlos Delgado struck out swinging for the second out. Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mets 1, Houston 0

Top 2nd: Geoff Blum singled to short centerfield. Hunter Pence grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Bum at second for the first out. Darin Erstand doubled off the glove of Beltran in centerfield. Blum moved to third. Brad Ausmus grounded out to shortstop for the second out. Pence could've scored but stayed at third even though Reyes was playing at normal depth. Oswalt struck out for the final out.
Mets 1, Houston 0

Bottom 2nd: Dan Murphy flied out to centerfield. Ryan Church, in his first at bat since July 5, reached on an infield single to third base. Brian Schneider hit a two-run homer to rightfield, scoring Church to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. Johan Santana struck out swinging for the second out. Jose Reyes grounded out to third to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 3rd: Wigginton flied out to centerfield. Loretta walked. Tejada struck out swinging. Berkman singled to center. Loretta moved to second. Blum popped out to first to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 3rd: Argenis Reyes grounded out to third. Wright popped out to second. Delgado grounded out to second for the final out.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 4th: Pence popped out to second. Erstad grounded out to short. Ausmus grounded out to short for the final out.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 4th: Beltran popped to the catcher in foul territory. Murphy grounded out to shortstop. Church grounded out to shorstop to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 5th: Oswalt struck out swinging. Wigginton singled to left. Loretta popped out to shortstop. Tejada doubled down the leftfield line. Wigginton moved to third. Berkman grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 5th: Schneider struck out swinging. Santana struck out swinging (put out 2-3). Reyes flied out to right centerfield.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 6th: Blum popped out to second base. Pence reached on a infield single to shortstop. Erstad flied out to rightfield. Ausmus flied out to deep centerfield to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 6th: Argenis Reyes grounded out to first. Wright flied out to right. Delgado grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 7th: Oswalt struck out looking. Wigginton singled to centerfield. Loretta flied out to short rightfield. Tejada grounded into a fielder's choice, forcing Wigginton at second to end the inning.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 7th: Beltran lined out to leftfield. Murphy struck out swinging (put out 2-3). Church grounded out to short for the final out.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 8th: Endy Chavez in leftfield and Aaron Heilman is pitching for the Mets. Berkman grounded out to second. Blum grounded out to thirdbase. Pence struck out swinging.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Bottom 8th: Schneider lined out to centerfield and was robbed of a hit by Erstad. Chavez flied out to leftfield. Jose Reyes grounded out pitcher to first base.
Mets 3, Houston 0

Top 9th: Ayala is pitching for the Mets. Erstad struck out swinging. Pinch-hitter Michael Bourn struck out swinging. Former Mets David Newhan grounded out to third base to end the game.
Final score: Mets 3, Houston 0

Santana picks up the win and improves to 12-7. Oswalt get the loss and falls to 11-9.
The Mets improve to 72-57 and Houston falls to .500, 64-64.

Game two is tomorrow night at 7:10.