New York @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2010 ) NY Mets 3, Houston 4
Johan Santana had no answer for Hunter Pence on Tuesday. One day later, the New York Mets are hoping the Houston Astros will be unable to solve R.A. Dickey.
The Mets send Dickey and his knuckleball to the mound tonight when they take on the Astros in the third game of their four-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Entering with a scoreless streak of 16 1/3 innings, Santana was unable to extend it Tuesday as Pence belted a three-run homer before the left-hander was able to record an out in the bottom of the first.
New York's ace kept Houston at bay for the next seven frames, but Pence struck again in the eighth, launching his 18th shot of the year to snap a 3-3 tie and lift the Astros to their 10th win in 13 home games.
It was the first multi-homer performance of the season for Pence, who is hitting .500 (12-for-24) with three homers and eight RBIs over his last six contests.
The Mets had tied the game in the top of the eighth on a solo blast by David Wright, who had not driven in a run since July 31. Instead of using the momentum to pull out a victory, New York lost for the 21st time in its last 29 road games and fell to 11-20 overall since the All-Star break.
Having scored three runs or less in 12 of their last 15 games, the Mets try to notch just their sixth win in the last 20 road contests behind Dickey, who will be making his first career start against the Astros.
Dickey, who has won two of his last three decisions, is coming off his second career shutout and first since 2003 while with Texas. The 35-year-old tossed a one-hitter against Philadelphia on Friday, walking just one and striking out seven in a 1-0 triumph.
In his last five starts, Dickey has allowed only six earned runs over 32 innings for a 1.69 ERA. He has kept the opposition off the scoreboard in three of those outings.
Dickey has made two relief appearances against the Astros during his career, throwing two scoreless innings. Houston slugger Carlos Lee has been quite successful vs. the right-hander over the years, however, going 5-for-7 (.714) with a homer and five RBIs.
Making his 12th road start of the year, Dickey is 3-4 with a 3.24 ERA away from home.
Houston, which snapped a six-game losing streak against the Mets with Tuesday's win, sends Brett Myers to the hill. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA over his last eight outings, allowing two earned runs or fewer seven times.
On Friday, Myers yielded just one run and seven hits in seven innings but did not figure in the decision of the Astros' 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
Myers, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Tuesday, looks to extend his franchise record of 24 straight starts of at least six innings to begin a season. He is two away from tying Larry Dierker's club mark of 26 consecutive six-inning outings set from June 20, 1969-April 17, 1970.
In 20 career starts against the Mets, Myers is 8-6 with a 5.10 ERA. He is 6-0 with a 2.20 ERA in 11 home outings this year.
Wright is hitting just .214 (6-for-28) lifetime vs. Myers but has four home runs and eight RBIs. Carlos Beltran is 11-for-33 against the veteran with a homer and six RBIs.