Atlanta Braves at New York Mets preview: Ervin Santana faces Dillon Gee

With the banged-up state of the pitching staff of the New York Mets, there aren’t a lot of prime pitching match-ups to chronicle during the four-game series at Citi Field this week. However, Mets right-hander Dillon Gee is set to return from the disabled list on Wednesday evening, and with his status as the best “active” pitcher on the New York roster in tact, his face-off with Atlanta’s Ervin Santana takes center stage.

In 12 career starts against the Braves, the 28-year-old Gee has posted a very nice 2.95 ERA, and prior to his injury, he was cooking with a 2.73 ERA on the season. With that said, Dillon Gee certainly isn’t a terrifying opponent for Atlanta, especially given his lack of strikeout potential, and he will seem quite hittable, almost regardless of any rust he may have. Still, this is a spot where the lineup could be challenged heavily, and Gee does not give anything away with a lack of command or control.

Ervin Santana has bounced back nicely from a rocky period in May and June, and he appears to be settling in as July takes shape. The big right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in three consecutive starts, and Santana has cruised through two starts against these same Mets this season, allowing only one earned run in more than 15 innings of work.

Here is a look at the particulars for Wednesday:

Date: July 9, 2014

Start Time: 7:10 pm ET

TV Channel: SportSouth

Radio: 680 AM/106.7 FM (Local in Atlanta), Full list of Local Affiliates

Live Stream: MLB.tv (Click Here, $)

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