New York @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2010 ) NY Mets 0, San Francisco 1
Jose Reyes’ oblique injury continues to keep the New York Mets’ All-Star shortstop out of the lineup.
Reyes will miss his third straight game since play resumed after the All-Star break when the Mets and San Francisco Giants meet Saturday night in the third of the four-game series.
Reyes suffered the injury in late June and has been limited to just four games.
Being sidelined has come at a bad time for Reyes as he has been enjoying his hottest streak of the season.
Reyes is batting .350 (35-for-100) with five homers and 12 RBIs since June 8 to raise his average from 246 to .275. He has scored 22 runs and gone 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts during the stretch.
The injury forced Reyes to miss Tuesday’s All-Star Game and it was hoped he would be able to play Thursday when play resumed. He was a late scratch, however, and the new timetable calls for a possible return on Sunday.
New York was forced to recall Justin Turner from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday to make sure it has a backup shortstop. Ruben Tejada is starting in place of Reyes.
Reyes isn’t the only ailing Met. Scheduled Saturday starter Mike Pelfrey (10-4) has been scratched due to a stiff neck.
Hisanori Takahashi has been moved into the spot of Pelfrey, who will instead pitch Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Takahashi has a 7-3 record and 4.15 ERA. His ERA was 2.13 in late May but he has given up five or more earned runs four times since then.
The Mets have yet to score a run in the series as San Francisco’s pitching has limited them to nine hits over the first two games.
Tim Lincecum pitched a six-hit shutout Thursday and Barry Zito and Brian Wilson combined on a three-hitter Friday. Zito allowed two hits and struck out 10 in eight innings.
Matt Cain (6-8) will look to make it three straight stellar performances Saturday for the Giants, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
However, Cain is 0-4 in his last five starts and has a 7.44 ERA in that span, having given up 24 earned runs over his last 29 innings.
After giving up just four home runs in his first 13 starts, Cain has allowed six over his last five outings.
Cain’s ERA is a respectable 3.34 but it was as low as 2.05 on June 13 after he beat the Oakland Athletics for his most-recent victory.
Cain is 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA in seven career starts against the Mets.
San Francisco second baseman Freddy Sanchez was scratched Friday with flu-like symptoms.