Mets Beat Braves To Start Season, 1-0

Johan Santana pitched five innings of two-hit ball in his long-awaited return from shoulder surgery and David Wright hit an RBI single to lead the New York Mets past the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in their season opener Thursday.

New York’s revamped bullpen picked up for Santana and shut down the Braves, while the shortened fences at reconfigured Citi Field hardly came into play. But it wasn’t all good news for the Mets, who watched new center fielder Andres Torres hobble off after re-injuring his strained calf.

It was the first time since 1996 that Atlanta fielded an opening-day lineup without Chipper Jones, and the Braves were punchless at the plate. Coming off a near-record collapse last September that cost the team a playoff spot, Atlanta managed only four hits.

 
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)