Johan Santana shines as Mets win on Opening Day

He didn't get the win, but Johan Santana's presence on the mound was a victory in itself for the Mets.

Their lefty ace returned to action for the first time since September 2010, and allowed just two hits in five scoreless innings. David Wright paved the way for the first Mets' win of 2012 -- a 1-0 victory over Atlanta on Thursday at Citi Field -- with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.

But perhaps the most impressive stats of the afternoon were Santana's. He struck out five batters in 84 pitches -- one shy of manager Terry Collins' anticipated 85-to-95-pitch maximum.

Aside from a first-inning single to Martin Prado, Santana breezed through the early innings, retiring 12 batters in a row during one stretch. But he faltered in the top of the fifth when, with one out, Matt Diaz doubled to center field, and the game suddenly began to drag.

A Jason Heyward flyout temporarily calmed the nerves of the 42,080 Citi Field faithful -- the largest announced crowd in the stadium's four-season history -- but Santana then walked Tyler Pastornicky and Braves starter Tommy Hanson - the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters - to load the bases.

Following a brief visit from Mets pitching coach Dan Wharthen, Santana regrouped and found his way out of the jam. The next batter, Michael Bourn, grounded the ball to the mound and the lefty quickly threw over to first baseman Ike Davis, who jumped in order to catch Santana's dangerously high throw to end the inning.

"It gives us a stopper," Saturday's starter, R.A. Dickey, said of Santana's return. "Right out of the chute, you feel more confident that you've got that guy in the rotation."

Kimberley Martin is a

Newsday staff writer.