Cincinnati @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 21, 2013 ) Cincinnati 4, NY Mets 0

The New York Mets have had a difficult time scoring runs at home and have totaled just eight hits in the first two games of their series against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. With budding ace Matt Harvey going in the finale on Wednesday, the Mets only may need one run to avoid the sweep. Harvey will be looking to keep his undefeated record intact when he matches up against another unbeaten starter, Cincinnati’s Mat Latos.

New York got a three-run homer from Marlon Byrd on Monday but not much else in a 4-3 loss. Things were even worse on Tuesday, when the Mets managed three hits in a 4-0 setback. David Wright hit safely in every game of New York’s seven-game road trip but has gone 0-for-7 in two games back home. The All-Star has yet to homer and is batting .240 at Citi Field while hitting .359 with six blasts on the road. The Reds have won nine of their last 11 games, and the pitching staff has surrendered a total of six runs in the last four contests.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Mat Latos (4-0, 2.91 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (5-0, 1.55)

Latos is coming off his longest outing of the season in which he allowed two runs and four hits over 8 1/3 innings at Miami without factoring in the decision. The 25-year-old right-hander ran into a little command trouble over a three-start stretch from April 29-May 11 but seemed to get that under control with just one walk against the Marlins. Latos is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in five career starts versus New York, and Wright is just 2-for-11 with five strikeouts against him.

Harvey is third in the National League in ERA and has allowed more than two runs only once in nine starts, when he surrendered three against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 24. The Connecticut native struck out six while yielding two runs and five hits over 7 1/3 innings to earn a win at Chicago on Friday. Harvey made one start against Cincinnati during his 2012 rookie campaign and held the Reds to one run and four hits in 7 2/3 frames to pick up a win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds 1B Joey Votto is riding a 10-game hitting streak and has scored at least one run in six consecutive contests.

2. New York 1B Ike Davis is 1-for-36 over his last 10 games and was dropped to No. 7 in the lineup on Tuesday.

3. Cincinnati 3B Todd Frazier has recorded multiple hits in three of his last four games.

PREDICTION: Mets 2, Reds 1