Mets vs. Brewers Preview

This is what baseball is all about. This is why they play 162 games over six months. For the first three days of the month of September, with pennant races gallor, all eyes will be tuned in for this three game series.

The New York Mets (76-61) a game in front of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, and the Milwaukee Brewers (80-56) 6.5 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Wild Card, and 4.5 game back of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central. If things continue to pan out as they are, the Mets and Brewers are on a conllision course in October baseball.

But, first it is this series. Tomorrow afternoon the two teams will throw up a gem in front of Brewer fans, as Mets Ace Johan Santana (12-7 2.70 ERA) will face off against Ben Sheets (12-7 3.05 ERA). Santana after struggling at the start of the season has really turned it on and has been the ace that the Mets thought they were getting in Feburary. Santana has been going deep into games of late, and most recently put together two complete games in a span of just four weeks from the end of July to mid-August. Even when he didn't have his best stuff against the Philadelphia Phillies, he still managed to pitch six innings allowing only three runs.

Sheets, likewise, has had a brilliant year. A guy who has had a history of being bothered by injuries, is finally living up to the hype he set back in 2000, when he won a gold medal in that year's Olympic games. Unfrotunatley for Sheets he has not faired well against New York. Even though he has a winning record (4-2) against the Mets, his ERA is an astronomical 5.10.

Still this is a different Sheets who has gotten better as the year has moved along.

In game two, the Mets will try to throw a dart while blindfolded, hoping it hits its intented target, as Jon Niese will make his MLB debut. Niese who showed promise in Spring Training is the Mets top pitching prospect. He was 11-8 with a 3.13 ERA in double-A and was promoted to tripple A last month. How will he react going up against the likes of Prince Fielder (28 HR, 80 RBI), the unbelieveable Ryan Braun (34 HR 95 RBI) and Cory Hart (20 HR 81 RBI)? Even old Met fan favorite Mike Cameron is starting to look like the offenseive play he was when he was with Seattle. Cameron has 24 HR and 64 RBI and is batting .261.

This could be a long afternoon for Niese, and the Mets will need the bullpen. If Niese gets KO'ed early, Nelson Figeroura, and Brian Stokes will be waiting to come in in case the Mets are close.

Niese will square off against Manny Parra, who is having a brilliant year in his second year in the Bigs with a 10-6 record and a 4.00 ERA.

In the finale, set for 1:30 ET on Wednesday, Oliver Perez who, dispite a 9-7 record, is having a great season and is living up the possiblities of making big bucks in the offseason. Whenever the Mets are in need of a win, Perez seems to deliever. Whether it is his brilliant perfromance in Game Seven of the 2006 NLCS, or his mastery of the Yankees, Phillies and Braves, Perez is usually on top of his game when the lights are brightest.

He will square off against Dave Bush (9-9, 4.12 ERA) who has been a decent starter for Milwaukee this season.

Offensively the Mets also have a bunch of guys that are having big years. David Wright has 27 HR and 102 RBI, Carlos Beltran is starting to heat up with 21 HR and 93 RBI. Carlos Delgado is clearly the teams most valuable player, as he has resurected his career with 30 HR and 93 RBI. Delgado has been in the middle of most of the Mets big innings this season. Even Jose Reyes who is having an off-year as far as stolen bases are concerned is putting up decent numbers (13 HR 56 RBI).

The Mets have also gotten contributions from unlikely scorces like Fernando Tatis (11 HR 43 RBI) Dan Murphy (2 HR, 13 RBI) and Damion Easley (6 HR 39 RBI).

One thing that these two teams seem to have in common is the fact that they are both angry. Much was made of the Mets collapse at the end of the 2007 season, but lets not forget that the Brewers had a big lead on the Cubs in the Central last year, and choked in the final month and a half to blow it. Both teams are pissed off about the past, and want to redeem themselves; if you know anything about sports in general, no team is more dangerous than one that feels it needs to prove a point.

This should be fun series. Predition: Brewers win series 2-1.