By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 6/1/2008 at 9:59:00 AM

After a rough start, the New York Mets have a chance to end this week - along with their homestand - on a much more positive note. The Mets look to win consecutive series for the first time since mid-April, when they send ace Johan Santana to the mound to close a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Following a 3-6 road trip that sparked questions about manager Willie Randolph’s job security, New York (27-27, -6.2 units) opened this seven-game homestand with a 7-3 loss to the Marlins on Monday.

Since that defeat, however, the Mets have won four of five, including a 3-2 win over the Dodgers (27-28, -5-2 units) on Saturday. New York scored all three runs in the eighth inning, as Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer and Fernando Tatis drove in the go-ahead run on an RBI single.
Now, the Mets are looking to win back-to-back series for the first time since sweeping Washington at home April 15-17, then taking two of three at Philadelphia April 18-20. After Sunday, New York visits the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres - both of whom have losing records - giving them an opportunity to start making a push out of fourth place in the NL East.

“I don’t know how to describe it, really,” Mets closer Billy Wagner said. “It’s one of those situations that we knew we weren’t playing up to our standards, and, heck, we almost got our manager fired because we weren’t playing. I think guys just stepped it up, focused, and we’re a little bit more aware of the situations where we have to step it up and play up to our potential.”

New York’s odds of winning its second straight series appear good with Santana (6-3, 3.41 ERA) on the mound. Since a 1-2 start to his Mets career, the former Minnesota Twins ace is 5-1 in his last seven starts - six of them victories for New York. The left-hander is historically splendid with 67-18 record against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record) Santana earned a 5-3 win over Florida on Tuesday to begin the Mets’ current stretch of improved play. He gave up three runs over seven innings to improve to 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four starts at Shea Stadium.

Santana pitched seven scoreless innings in his only appearance against the Dodgers on June 28, 2006, allowing only two hits while striking out nine in a 6-3 win for Minnesota. Sportsbook.com has the Metropolitans as -165 money line favorites and Santana is 84-27 as a favorite of -150 or more in his career. (Team's Record)

The Dodgers are 1-5 entering the finale of their seven-game road trip, although they haven’t lost any ground in the NL West with the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks also dropping five of six in the same span. Los Angeles wasted a superior effort by Chad Billingsley, who allowed four hits and no runs thru seven innings. Reliever Jonathan Broxton had nothing yesterday, other than a cement-mixer breaking pitch and a fastball that was straight an arrow, as the only batter he retired in the six he faced was on a sacrifice bunt. The Dodgers are now 1-6 on the road facing a club with a winning home record.

Los Angeles rookie Hiroki Kuroda (2-4, 3.29) is just 1-2 over his last four starts despite posting a 2.30 ERA and pitching into the seventh inning each time. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed two runs - one earned - in 6 1/3 innings Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, but received only one run of support and got charged with a 3-1 loss. The Mets are 37-16 vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.50 or better over the last two seasons. Kuroda allowed four runs - two earned - and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings against the Mets on May 6 at Dodger Stadium, but escaped without a decision in Los Angeles’ 5-4 win.

The posted total is Un8 and New York is 9-3 when the number is between 7-to-8.5. The Mets are 16-6 OVER after a game where the bullpen gave up no runs this season and the average score of a Santana pitched game after his team won is 10 runs, raising the record to 11-3 OVER when the Venezuelan takes the hill.

The Dodgers are 10-4 against lefties in 2008, as they prepare for this Sunday night encounter on ESPN starting at 8:05 Eastern, and will seek a split in the Big Apple, in spite of recent 2-6 record, in last regular season appearance at Shea Stadium.

StatFox Power Line – Mets -136

KATE HEDLIN, STATS Writer contributed to this article.