New York @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( May 1, 2013 ) NY Mets 7, Miami 6

The New York Mets will try to extend their longest winning streak of the season against the worst team in baseball when they begin a three-game series at the Miami Marlins on Friday. After dropping 20 of 27, the Mets defeated Atlanta on Sunday before reeling off four straight wins over the rival New York Yankees. The Mets' five-game streak is their longest since winning five in a row last May. They haven't won six straight since April 2011.

Miami has just 13 wins on the year, but has split six meetings with New York and took two of three when the Mets visited April 29-May 1. The Marlins have since lost seven series and split an eighth, and have dropped a season-high nine straight games overall after a 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday. Jacob Turner will make his 2013 debut on the mound for Miami in the series opener.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), Fox Sports Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Shaun Marcum (0-5, 5.77 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jacob Turner (2012: 1-4, 3.38)

Marcum remains in pursuit of his first victory with the Mets, but did everything he could in his last outing on Sunday. Marcum held the Braves to two runs on four hits in seven innings while striking out a career-high 12. Marcum has 24 strikeouts against just two walks in his last four outings. The 31-year-old suffered the loss in relief against the Marlins on April 29 and has a 7.36 ERA against Miami in two career encounters, including one start.

Turner performed well in seven starts with Miami last season. Included in that stint was a solid outing against the Mets on Oct. 2, when the right-hander yielded one run on just three hits in 7 2/3 innings. Turner allowed only one run in his last 14 2/3 innings at home in 2012. One of the big chips in the trade that sent Anibel Sanchez and Omar Infante to Detroit, Turner posted a 3-4 mark with a 4.47 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A New Orleans this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Marlins 3B Placido Polanco is 6-for-14 with two doubles against Marcum.

2. Mets RF Marlon Byrd has homered in consecutive games. Four of his five home runs have come on the road.

3. Miami has scored three runs or fewer seven times during its nine-game slide

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Marlins 3