prosopis
Arizona Chupacabra
PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks and Mets are saving the best for last, at least when it comes to pitching matchups.
Arizona's Dan Haren will square off against New York's Johan Santana on Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Chase Field.
"Two kind of marquee guys this offseason that changed teams, and both teams are real happy with who they have," D-backs manager Bob Melvin said. "So it should be a very good pitching matchup."
Haren and Santana were among the two big-name pitchers available in the trade market last offseason. The D-backs landed Haren from the A's in an eight-player deal that cost them six prospects.
Haren is finally feeling like his old self after battling an upper respiratory infection for the first few weeks of the season. In his last outing, he allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
"That was, absolutely, without a doubt, the best I've felt," Haren said after that game. "I caught a bit of the flu going around early on, and I'm just now getting back to my usual routine. ... And I felt real good out there."
The Mets acquired Santana from the Twins in exchange for four players in early February. In order to get Santana to waive his no-trade clause, the Mets signed him to a contract extension worth $137.5 million over the next six years.
"He's got a good fastball, he's got a good breaking ball and a great changeup," Melvin said of Santana. "And the changeup makes everything that much better. It's not like he doesn't have a good fastball. A lot of times, you're always going to establish the fastball, and the breaking stuff plays off of that. I think everybody is so aware of his changeup that it makes his fastball that much better."
Pitching matchup
ARI: RHP Dan Haren (4-1, 3.13 ERA)
The former A's right-hander has combined with Brandon Webb to create one of the top 1-2 punches in the National League. In his last outing on Monday night at home in a 5-3 victory over the Astros, Haren went 7 2/3 innings, and he was perfect for the first four before allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in the fifth.
NYM: LHP Johan Santana (3-2, 3.12 ERA)
Santana is making his seventh start of the year. He has made one career appearance at Chase Field, and he tossed a complete-game shutout, as the Twins beat the D-backs, 10-0, on June 8, 2005. Santana also faced Arizona on June 13, 2003, at the Metrodome, and he allowed one run over seven innings
Arizona's Dan Haren will square off against New York's Johan Santana on Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Chase Field.
"Two kind of marquee guys this offseason that changed teams, and both teams are real happy with who they have," D-backs manager Bob Melvin said. "So it should be a very good pitching matchup."
Haren and Santana were among the two big-name pitchers available in the trade market last offseason. The D-backs landed Haren from the A's in an eight-player deal that cost them six prospects.
Haren is finally feeling like his old self after battling an upper respiratory infection for the first few weeks of the season. In his last outing, he allowed three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
"That was, absolutely, without a doubt, the best I've felt," Haren said after that game. "I caught a bit of the flu going around early on, and I'm just now getting back to my usual routine. ... And I felt real good out there."
The Mets acquired Santana from the Twins in exchange for four players in early February. In order to get Santana to waive his no-trade clause, the Mets signed him to a contract extension worth $137.5 million over the next six years.
"He's got a good fastball, he's got a good breaking ball and a great changeup," Melvin said of Santana. "And the changeup makes everything that much better. It's not like he doesn't have a good fastball. A lot of times, you're always going to establish the fastball, and the breaking stuff plays off of that. I think everybody is so aware of his changeup that it makes his fastball that much better."
Pitching matchup
ARI: RHP Dan Haren (4-1, 3.13 ERA)
The former A's right-hander has combined with Brandon Webb to create one of the top 1-2 punches in the National League. In his last outing on Monday night at home in a 5-3 victory over the Astros, Haren went 7 2/3 innings, and he was perfect for the first four before allowing two runs on three hits and two walks in the fifth.
NYM: LHP Johan Santana (3-2, 3.12 ERA)
Santana is making his seventh start of the year. He has made one career appearance at Chase Field, and he tossed a complete-game shutout, as the Twins beat the D-backs, 10-0, on June 8, 2005. Santana also faced Arizona on June 13, 2003, at the Metrodome, and he allowed one run over seven innings
