New York @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 18, 2010 ) NY Mets 3, Houston 2

The New York Mets and Houston Astros may not be headed for the playoffs, but they certainly have shown a flare for the dramatic this week.

The Mets try for their first road series win since mid-June tonight, when they take on the Astros in the finale of their four-game set at Minute Maid Park.

New York still has not given up hope of making the postseason, but its chances are slim. The club is 11 games behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East and 8 1/2 back of Philadelphia in the wild-card chase.

The Astros are just playing out the string. They trail Cincinnati by 16 1/2 games in the NL Central and are 16 behind the Phillies for the wild card.

Meeting for the first time this season, the teams have had three entertaining battles thus far. In the series opener on Monday, the Mets scored two runs in the ninth inning to post a 3-1 victory, with David Wright racing home on a wild pitch by Matt Lindstrom to snap a 1-1 tie.

Tuesday's contest saw Wright belt a solo homer in the top of the eighth to knot the game at 3-3, only to have Hunter Pence hit his second shot of the night off Johan Santana in the bottom of the frame to give Houston the win.

The clubs outdid themselves on Wednesday, with New York opening the scoring with two runs in the seventh before Houston halved the deficit in the eighth. R.A. Dickey was two outs away from his second consecutive complete-game victory, before Geoff Blum sent the game to extra innings with his first home run since September.

The Mets squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the 10th but came through in the 14th. Ike Davis plated Jose Reyes - who posted his second four-hit game of the year - with a sacrifice fly. Manny Acosta retired the Astros in order in the bottom of the inning for his first save since 2008.

With the win, New York improved to 9-21 in its last 30 road games. But its offensive woes continue as the club has scored three runs or less in 13 of its last 16 contests.

The Mets will settle for less drama tonight in exchange for a win from Pat Misch, who will be making his second start of the year. Misch, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Wednesday, made his season debut Saturday, allowing four runs - one earned - and eight hits over six innings in a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia.
Misch is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. The left-hander last faced Houston on October 3, when he yielded one run on five hits in five innings of a 5-1 triumph.

The Astros counter with Bud Norris, who will be making his first career appearance against the Mets.

Norris has won three straight decisions. The 25-year old surrendered two runs and five hits while striking out a career-high 14 over seven innings in a 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday.

In 10 starts at home this season, Norris is 2-4 with a 5.56 ERA.