New York @ Philadelphia preview

Last Meeting ( May 30, 2014 ) NY Mets 5, Philadelphia 6

A five-game series figured to tax the host Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets, a notion that was assured when the teams locked up in a 14-inning marathon on Friday night. The Phillies finally halted a six-game home losing streak to the Mets with a 6-5 victory to improve to 4-4 on their 11-game homestand. Slugger Ryan Howard entered the series with a 12-game hitting streak against New York but is 0-for-11 with six strikeouts in the first two games.

Mets manager Terry Collins said his team may need to dip into the minors for a fresh arm after he was forced to use seven relievers to cover 9 1/3 innings Friday night. New York will be banking on rookie Jacob deGrom, set to make his fourth major-league start, to provide innings and give the bullpen a breather. DeGrom was in a similar predicament in his last outing and wound up throwing 122 pitches in 6 2/3 scoreless innings one day after the Mets played a doubleheader.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (0-2, 1.83 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (1-5, 4.04)

DeGrom has deserved a better fate in his first three career starts, which includes a 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees in his major-league debut and a bullpen meltdown after limiting Pittsburgh to five hits last time out. Those two outings were sandwiched around a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he surrendered three solo homers among four hits. One issue has been deGrom's control - he's walked 10 and fanned 14 in 19 2/3 innings.

Kendrick broke into the win column for the first time since last August in his last start, working 6 2/3 scoreless innings against Colorado to snap a 16-start winless drought. It marked the seventh time in 10 outings this season that Kendrick has permitted three runs or fewer and was his fourth straight quality start at home. Kendrick did not factor in the decision versus the Mets on May 10, giving up four runs on 5 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mets are hitless in their last 13 at-bats with the bases loaded and 6-for-48 in such situations this season.

2. Kendrick is 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA in 23 appearances (17 starts) against the Mets.

3. DeGrom, who played shortstop collegiately, was 4-for-5 at the plate in his first three games before whiffing as a pinch hitter Friday.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Mets 3