Los Angeles @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2013 ) NY Mets 4, LA Dodgers 5

The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the biggest disappointments in the majors, barely sitting above .500 entering a six-game road trip that begins Tuesday with three games against the New York Mets. The Dodgers have dropped nine of their last 14 games to fall to 23-22 on the season, but they can take comfort in the fact that they were 12 games below .500 last year before a sizzling 53-13 finish. Los Angeles has feasted on the Mets, winning nine of the last 10 meetings.

Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig, who had a 16-game hitting streak and eight-game RBI string snapped in Sunday's loss at Arizona, arrives at Citi Field on the heels of being named the National League co-Player of the week. New York got off to a solid start in the opening month but proceeded to lose eight of its first nine games in May. A three-game winning streak showed promise of a turnaround, but the Mets have dropped four of their last five and scored a total of five runs in the four defeats.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsNet (Los Angeles), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Josh Beckett (1-1, 2.38 ERA) vs. Mets RH Rafael Montero (0-1, 4.50)

Beckett finally put an end to a 14-start winless drought in his last outing, limiting the Miami Marlins to an unearned run in 6 1/3 innings to notch his first victory since Sept. 30, 2012. It marked the fifth time in seven starts that the 34-year-old veteran allowed two runs or fewer and the fourth straight outing in which he pitched at least six innings. Beckett is 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 14 career starts against the Mets.

Montero drew a difficult matchup in his major-league debut last week, pitted against the New York Yankees and Japanese sensation Masahiro Tanaka. The 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic acquitted himself fairly well, allowed three runs and five hits over six innings in a losing effort. Montero surrendered only three homers in eight starts at Triple-A Las Vegas but served up a pair of solo shots to the Yankees.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers OF Matt Kemp is batting .355 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 48 games versus New York.

2. Mets 3B David Wright is 1-for-18 with three strikeouts lifetime against Beckett.

3. Los Angeles is 6-1 in its last seven at Citi Field.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Mets 4