To preview this Mets miniseries, I spoke with Amazin' Avenue and Chuck held court over at Metsmerized Online.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Maybe you read other blogs that do. This is not such a great match-up. The Mike Leake we know from Seasons One and Two is never more than a start away from becoming dependable again, but there hasn't been much to like about his recent episodes. Other than: his regressed stats, which were revealed in a really hacky series of therapist scenes, suggest he's not nearly this bad.

Meanwhile, Johan Santana is back from doing off-Broadway and, rather than losing steps, has learned a few.

Go Reds! Think positive, play the game, then win the game.

Lineups

REDS

Zack Cozart (R) SS
Drew Stubbs (R) CF
Joey Votto (L) 1B
Brandon Phillips (R) 2B
Chris Heisey (R) RF
Ryan Ludwick (R) LF
Todd Frazier (R) 3B
Devin Mesoraco (R) C
Mike Leake RHP

METS

Kirk Nieuwenhuis (L) CF
Mike Baxter (L) LF
David Wright (R) 3B
Lucas Duda (L) RF
Daniel Murphy (L) 2B
Ike Davis (L) 1B
Justin Turner (R) SS
Mike Nickeas (R) C
Johan Santana (L) P