New York @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 11, 2016 ) NY Mets 4, Milwaukee 7

The New York Mets will try to record only their second series victory in the last five when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers for the finale of a four-game set on Sunday. The Mets took the first two games of the series but suffered a 7-4 setback on Saturday to give the Brewers a shot at a split.

New York is looking for offense wherever it can get it and are finally receiving some good swings from leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson in the series. The veteran is 6-for-12 with two home runs, a triple and a double in the first three games to push his batting average from .203 to .219. The Brewers were making a run at a .500 record before dropping the first two to the Mets and sit at 29-33 overall after getting a pair of home runs from Ryan Braun in Saturday’s win. Braun went 0-for-13 with four strikeouts in the previous three games and had gone seven straight without recording multiple hits before breaking out with the two blasts.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (7-2, 2.39 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (4-3, 4.29)

Matz had a string of seven straight wins come to an end with a no decision on May 31 and suffered a rare loss at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 25-year-old struck out eight but scattered two runs, eight hits and a pair of walks to raise the pitch count and force him out after five innings against the Pirates. Matz started against Milwaukee on May 20 and earned a win while yielding two runs and three hits in seven frames.

Davies is on a roll with wins in three straight and dominated in his last two turns. The 23-year-old allowed three hits and did not walk a batter in eight scoreless innings against St. Louis on June 1 and followed it up by holding the Oakland Athletics to two runs and two hits in seven frames on Tuesday. Davies went up against New York on May 21 and was reached for four runs in 5 1/3 innings while giving up home runs to Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets 2B Neil Walker left Saturday’s game with tightness in his lower back and is day-to-day.

2. Milwaukee 2B Scooter Gennett is 9-for-23 with five RBIs in the last five games.

3. New York C Travis d’Arnaud (shoulder) is back to catching in minor league rehab games.

PREDICTION: Mets 3, Brewers 2