The newly activated Luis Castillo is back in the lineup and batting second as the Mets try to snap a two-game losing skid to the Astros tonight at Shea Stadium in the finale of a four-game series. The Mets will have Mike Pelfrey on the mound tonight, but you wonât see him for another eight days afterward because the Mets are worried about his innings total and have pushed his next start back to Sept. 3 at Milwaukee.
Pelfrey is on a roll, winning three of his past four starts, but is already at 154 innings. Thatâs more than the big right-hander threw all of last season, and the Mets still have at least a month to go.
As for the lineup, Jerry Manuel is making Castillo a starter again immediately after he was brought off the DL this afternoon. Rookie Daniel Murphy also is getting a start in left with the Mets facing a righty in Brian Moehler.
Here is the overall order for the 72-59 Mets, whose lead in the NL East has shrunk to just one-half game over the Phillies:
Jose Reyes
Luis Castillo 2B
David Wright 3B
Carlos Delgado 1B
Carlos Beltran CF
Ryan Church RF
Daniel Murphy LF
Brian Schneider C
Mike Pelfrey RHP (12-8, 3.86)
The 66-64 Astros will look like this:
Darin Erstad LF
Ty Wigginton 3B
Miguel Tejada SS
Lance Berkman 1B
Geoff Blum 2B
Hunter Pence RF
Michael Bourn CF
Humberto Quintero C
Brian Moehler RHP (9-4, 3.87)
Game time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: SNY.