Santana puts streak on line as Mets face Brewers

Baseball Betting Lines

09/01/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets ace Johan Santana hasn't lost since late June and is not planning on doing so any time soon, either. Santana will try to run his unbeaten streak to 12 games when he takes the ball in the opener of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Santana's last defeat came at the hands of the New York Yankees on June 28, and he has recorded a 5-0 record over 11 starts since then. After winning three straight outings, Santana did not factor in the outcome of a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies his last time out Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. He was reached for three runs and five hits with six strikeouts in six innings to keep his 2008 record at 12-7, while raising his ERA to 2.70.

The left-hander and two-time AL Cy Young Award winner will take on Milwaukee for the second time this season and will be in search of revenge. Santana was beaten by the Brewers on April 12 at Shea Stadium, allowing five runs -- four earned -- and six hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-3 setback.

In 10 career appearances, six of which have been starts, against the Brewers, Santana is 3-2 with a 3.61 earned run average.

New York is currently one game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League East division. It has won three of four games to remain in the driver's seat, and posted a 6-3 win over the Florida Marlins on Sunday in the finale of a three-game set at Dolphin Stadium.

Pedro Martinez rebounded from a tough first inning to throw six strong frames for the victory, giving up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Carlos Beltran, Nick Evans and David Wright each hit solo homers for the Mets, who are 3-2 on an eight-game road trip and 35-36 away from Shea Stadium this season.

The Brewers, meanwhile, own a comfortable 5 1/2-game lead over the Phillies in the National League Wild Card standings. Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia remained unbeaten with his new team after nearly tossing a no-hitter in Sunday's 7-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sabathia struck out 11 batters and allowed one hit, a controversial infield single by Andy LaRoche, to improve to 9-0 with Milwaukee.

Sabathia clearly bobbled a slow roller towards third base hit by LaRoche, who was credited with the Pirates' lone hit. The Brewers will reportedly send a DVD and a written explanation to Major League Baseball protesting the scorer's ruling in an attempt to get the call changed. If the play winds up being called an error, Sabathia will have recorded the second no-hitter in franchise history. Juan Nieves pitched the only previous no-hitter with the Brewers, a 7-0 win over Baltimore on April 15, 1987.

Rickie Weeks hit a solo homer and Bill Hall had two RBI for the Brewers, who have won 10 of their last 13 games. Milwaukee is now 4 1/2 games behind Chicago for first place in the National League Central. The Cubs lost to Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Brewers will open a 10-game homestand on Monday and have won four straight at Miller Park. They are 41-24 as the host this season.

Taking the hill for the Brewers today will be Ben Sheets, who is 12-7 with a 3.05 earned run average in 26 trips to the mound. Sheets is just 2-5 through his previous nine starts, but ended a personal two-game losing streak his last time out Tuesday at St. Louis.

Sheets held the Cardinals scoreless on five hits in six innings.

The 10th overall selection in the 1999 draft, Sheets will square off against Santana and the Mets again this season. He beat them the last time during a 5-3 Milwaukee victory on April 12, permitting three runs in 7 2/3 frames. He is 4-2 with a 5.10 earned run average in seven career starts against the Mets.

Milwaukee won two of three games against the Mets at Shea Stadium from April 11-13 this season.