Mets vs. Braves Preview, Lineups, And Broadcast Info: Game #159 — Jenrry Mejia vs. Kris Medlen

Today's game notes, courtesy of @Mets.

Teams: Mets vs. Braves
Date: Sunday, September 30, 2012 • 1:35 p.m
Location: Turner Field • Atlanta, GA
Starters: RHP Jenrry Mejia (1-1, 4.91) vs. RHP Kris Medlen (9-1, 1.64)
TV/Radio: PIX11 • WFAN • WQBU
Info: Game #159 • Road Game #78

Lineup

Ruben Tejada - SS
Daniel Murphy - 2B
Justin Turner - 3B
Ike Davis - 1B
Scott Hairston - CF
Lucas Duda - LF
Mike Baxter - RF
Kelly Shoppach - C
Jenrry Mejia - RHP

METS AT A GLANCE: The Mets had their four-game winning streak snapped last night...New York has won seven of its last nine games ...They were shut out for the 12th time this season last night...The Mets fell to 21-37 when facing a left-handed starting pitcher.

ON THE ROAD: The Mets are 8-6 in their last 14 road games and are 37-40 on the road this year after going 43-38 away from Citi Field in 2011...David Wright is fifth in the National League with a .319 road batting average.

MONTHS: New York is 11-15 this month as they play its final game in September...The Mets posted a winning record in their first three months (April: 13-10, May: 15-13 and June: 15-13) but have had a losing record in their last three months (July: 7-18 and August: 12-16).

RUBBER GAMES: The Mets are 5-8 this year in rubber games, including 1-5 on the road and 0-1 vs. the Braves.

VS. ATLANTA: For the fourth time in the last five years, the Mets have lost 11 or more games to the Braves...New York lost 11 games to Atlanta in 2008 and 2010 and dropped 13 contests in 2009...New York won the first four games vs. Atlanta this season but has gone 2-11 since.

DAY LIGHT: Daniel Murphy (.348) ranks second in the majors in batting average during day games and David Wright (.315) is seventh in the NL...Justin Turner is hitting .393 (22-56) during day games but does not have enough plate appearances to qualify...New York is 32-25 in day games this season, including 14-13 on the road...The 32 victories are tied for the fourth-most in the majors.

DAVID WRIGHT: Collected his 41st double last night, one shy of his career-high (2005, 2007 and 2008)...Bernard Gilkey holds the franchise record with 44 doubles in 1996...Wright has five seasons of 40 or more doubles, the most in franchise history...Edgardo Alfonzo is second with two seasons of 40 or more doubles...He is sixth in the National League in doubles this year.

HISTORY: David Wright became the team’s all-time hits leader with his 1,419th career hit with his third-inning infield single off the Pirates’ Jeff Locke on Wednesday…Wright, who now has 1,423 hits, passed Ed Kranepool who finished his career with 1,418 hits while playing in 1,853 games from 1962-1979...Wright already became the franchise leader in RBI, walks and runs scored this year…He also holds the club mark in doubles and extra-base hits.

DANIEL MURPHY: Is hitting .341 (29-85) with six doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI this month...Murphy collected his 39th double Friday night to establish a career-high...His previous best was 38 doubles in 2009...Murphy ranks seventh in the NL in doubles.

IKE DAVIS: Is tied for sixth in the National League with his 31 home runs and is third in the NL with a home run every 16.3 at-bats.

SECOND HALF HOME RUNS: Ike Davis has 19 home runs since the All-Star break, tied for the fourth-most in majors and the second-most in the National League...Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera has the most second half home runs (25) while San Diego’s Chase Headley leads the NL with 22.

ROAD HOME RUNS: Ike Davis is second in the National League and fourth in the majors with 20 home runs on the road this season... Giancarlo Stanton leads the NL with 21 second-half home runs and Adam Dunn leads the majors with 23.

IN THE FIELD: The Mets haven’t made an error in four straight games... New York is third in the NL with a .986 fielding percentage since the AllStar break.

CHIPPER JONES VS. THE METS: Chipper Jones is playing his final game vs. the Mets...Jones is 0-for-his-last-21 vs. the Mets...Jones has hit .308 (264-856) in 244 career games vs. New York...Jones has 49 home runs (tied for the second-most by any visiting player in franchise history), 159 RBI (3rd-most), 167 runs scored (2nd-most) and 46 doubles (7th-most).

JENRRY MEJIA: Earned his first major league win in his last start on September 24 vs. Pittsburgh tossing 5.0 scoreless innings.

R.A. DICKEY: Became the first Mets pitcher with 20 wins in a season since 1990, when Frank Viola went 20-12…Dickey joins Tom Seaver (1969, 1971, 1972, 1975), Jerry Koosman (1976), Dwight Gooden (1985), David Cone (1988) and Viola as the only Mets to win at least 20 games in a season.

DICKEY RANKS: Dickey will make his final start of the year on Tuesday at Miami...He is tied for second in the majors and NL in wins, and leads the National League in strikeouts (222), innings pitched (227.2), complete games (five) and shutouts (three)…He has the second-lowest ERA (2.69) in the NL...Dickey leads the majors with 26 quality starts.

20-GAME WINNER ON SUB .500 TEAM: Dickey is the first 20-game winner on a below .500 team since 1997, when Roger Clemens went 21-7 for the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished the season 76-86 and Brad Radke who was 20-10 for the ’97 Twins, who were 68-94…Clemens won the AL Cy Young award that year with 96% of the vote...In fact, Dickey’s .769 winning percentage would be the fourth-best in major league history for a pitcher on a team that finished below .500...Sandy Koufax (19-5, .792 for the 1964 Dodgers) is first, Tim Lincecum (18-5, .783 for the 2008 Giants) is second and Bob Gibson (23-7, .767 for the 1964 Cardinals) ranks third.

THIRD-OLDEST TO 20: Dickey became the third-oldest pitcher to record the first 20-win season of his major league career...Dickey (age 37 years, 334 days as of Thursday), trails only Mike Mussina (who was 39 years old when he won his 20th game for the 2008 Yankees) and Jamie Moyer (age 38 with the 2001 Mariners) on that list...Courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau.

STRIKEOUTS: Dickey has seven double-digit strikeout games this season, the most in the NL...Dickey’s strikeout total (222) is the 12th-most in team history.

DICKEY DURING THE DAY: R.A. Dickey is 13-1 during the day this year...The last major leaguer to win 13 or more day games was the Cubs’ Rick Reuschel (15-5 in 1977).

RISP TALE OF TWO HALVES: The Mets went 0-5 with runners in scoring position last night and are hitting .211 (114-540) with runners in scoring position since the All-Star break…In the first half, the team hit .269 (199-739) with RISP...Overall, the Mets are hitting .245 with RISP on the season, ranking 21st in the majors...The Mets are hitting .261 with runners in scoring position and two outs, the third-highest average in the majors.

LAST START: Earned his first major league win in the Mets’ 6-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 24 at Citi Field...Pitched a career-high tying 5.0 shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks...Became the fourth Mets pitcher to earn his first career win this season, joining Matt Harvey, Jeremy Hefner and Josh Edgin...Established a career-high in strikeouts with four in his last start.

SPLITS: In two starts, Mejia is 1-1 with a 5.63 (five earned runs/8.0)...In two relief appearances, Mejia has not recorded a decision and has posted a 3.00 ERA (one earned run/3.0 innings). TOMMY JOHN SURGERY: Examined by Mets Medical Director David Altcheck on May 2, 201 and found to have a complete MCL tear of the right elbow...Underwent Tommy John surgery on May 16, 2011, performed by Dr. Altcheck at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

FIRST WIN: Mejia picked up his first major league win in 37 career games, four starts....Had gone 0-5 through his first 36 games.

LAST MINOR LEAGUE START: Mejia’s last minor league start before being recalled by the Mets on September 4 came for the Buffalo Bisons (AAA) of the International League on September 2 a Lehigh Valley...Pitched 6.0 innings, allowing a season-high six runs, earned, a season-high 11 hits and no walks...Struck out five.

2012 BUFFALO STARTS: Mejia started 10 games for the Buffalo Bisons (AAA) and went 2-3 wit a 2.75 ERA (16 earned runs/52.1 innings pitched)...Held batters to a .245 (48-196) batting average...Struck out a season-high six in his start against Scranton-Wilkes Barre on August 22...Walked more than three batters only once in those 10 starts.

2012 BUFFALO RELIEF: Made 16 relief appearances for Buffalo (AAA)...Went 1-1 with a 5.4 ERA (13 earned runs/21.1 innings pitched)...His most recent relief appearance occurred on July 2 at Louisville...Pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit...Opposing batters hit .303 (27-89) in those 16 appearances.

2012 BINGHAMTON: In two starts for the Binghamton Mets (AA) of the Eastern League, Mejia went 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA (five earned runs/8.0 innings pitched)...Opponents hit .344 (11 32)...Struck out eight batters in those 8.0 innings.

2012 MINORS TOTALS: In 30 combined games, 14 starts between Binghamton (AA) and Buffalo (AAA), Mejia went 4-4 with a 3.59 ERA (37 earned runs/92.2 innings pitched)...Struck out 55.

2010 SEASON: Began the season on the Opening Day roster...At the time, Mejia was the youngest player in the majors and youngest pitcher to appear on the Mets Opening Day roster since Dwight Gooden in 1984...Put together a career-high 9.1-inning scoreless streak from April 16 - May 9, span of nine games...Was 0-2 with a 3.25 ERA (10 earned runs/27.2 innings) in 30 relief outing and 0-2 with a 7.94 ERA (10 earned runs/11.1 innings) in three starts.

YOUNG STARTER: In 2010, at the age of 20, Mejia became the youngest Met to start a game since Dwight Gooden pitched as a 20-year old in 1985...Became the fifth Met player to start as 20- year old and the seventh to start at 20 or younger...Along with Gooden, who made starts as 19-year old and a 20-year old, the others who accomplished the feat were Tug McGraw (20), nin starts, 1965; Rob Garnder (20), four starts, 1965; Bill Hepler (20), four starts, 1966; Jerry Hinsle (19), two starts, 1964 and Nolan Ryan (19), one start, 1966.

SIGNED: Signed by the Mets as a non-drafted free agent on April 7, 2007.