New York @ San Francisco preview
Oracle Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 17, 2010 ) NY Mets 4, San Francisco 8
The New York Mets actually scored on the San Francisco Giants during Saturday’s contest. But that didn’t stop the Giants from prevailing again.
San Francisco will look to complete a four-game sweep during Sunday’s series finale with New York, which hopes the hint of offense it showed late in Saturday’s game carries over to today.
The Mets didn’t score a single run over the first 24 innings of the series before scoring four times in the final three innings of Saturday’s 8-4 loss.
Rookie first baseman Ike Davis hit two home runs, including a two-run shot in the seventh that accounted for the Mets’ first runs since July 11.
The Mets had been on the wrong end of shutouts three times in four games, and San Francisco starter Matt Cain was threatening to make it four of five when he blanked New York over the first six innings on Saturday.
The last time New York went more than 24 consecutive innings without scoring was way back in 1992. That’s when a Mets squad that included Eddie Murray and Bobby Bonilla went 30 straight innings without scoring against the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies in late July.
New York will try to build on its late-inning offense against San Francisco left-hander Jonathan Sanchez. The Giants are seeking their sixth consecutive victory.
New York scored four runs against Sanchez in early May, with Davis homering twice and catcher Rod Barajas also going deep against him in a 6-4 win. Sanchez wasn’t involved with the decision.
Sanchez has won five of his last seven decisions and has a 3.47 earned-run average. He lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his last start but got a no-decision as Washington touched him up for five runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Control has been an issue for Sanchez, who has struck out 104 batters and walked 53 in 103 2/3 innings. He has walked five or more batters in five of his 18 starts.
New York counters with Johan Santana, who didn’t allow a run in either of his last two starts. He pitched a complete-game three-hitter against Cincinnati on July 6 and followed that up with seven shutout innings against Atlanta five days later.
The back-to-back victories improved Santana’s record to 7-5 and lowered his ERA to 2.98.
Santana gave up four runs in 7 2/3 innings against San Francisco earlier this season and wasn’t part of the decision.
Pablo Sandoval, who had three hits and three RBIs in San Francisco’s win on Saturday, is hitting .600 (6-for-10) against Santana with two doubles and a homer.
On the other end of the spectrum, Giants utilityman Juan Uribe has struck out 19 times in 59 career at-bats against Santana. He is batting .153 against Santana.
San Francisco catcher Buster Posey hit his seventh homer of July and extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He’s batting .481 this month.
Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran will sit out today’s game after starting the previous three nights, his initial games of the season after offseason knee surgery.