New York @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 7, 2014 ) NY Mets 4, San Francisco 5

The San Francisco Giants are showing that they are never out of a game as they continue to run away with the best record in baseball. The Giants will try to polish off a three-game sweep when they host the New York Mets on Sunday. San Francisco earned a come-from-behind victory with a stunning walk-off win Saturday to move 20 games over .500 at 41-21 while the slumping Mets suffered their fifth straight setback.

The Giants never feel like they’re out of it and proved as much Saturday when Angel Pagan struck out to lead off the ninth inning but hustled down on the dropped strike and forced a bad throw to get the bag at first. Pagan hustled around to score the tying run on a single and is batting .323 from the top spot in the order after three more hits Saturday. The Mets are having some trouble getting runs and wasted strong starts from Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon in the first two games of the series while struggling on the base paths and in clutch situations at the plate.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), CSN Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Zack Wheeler (2-5, 3.89 ERA) vs. Giants RH Tim Lincecum (4-4, 5.01)

Wheeler, like many New York starters, is having trouble getting run support and failed to secure a win at Chicago on Tuesday despite surrendering two hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings. That marked the third straight quality start for the 24-year-old, who struck out 23 in 19 2/3 innings over that span. Wheeler was drafted and developed by San Francisco before joining the Mets in a deadline deal for Carlos Beltran in 2011 and is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against his former franchise.

Lincecum is struggling to find consistency in 2014 and is trying to bounce back from his worst effort after allowing eight runs in 4 1/3 innings at Cincinnati on Tuesday. The Washington native, who turns 30 next Sunday, held the Chicago Cubs hitless over five innings in his previous outing but issued four walks in that turn. Lincecum enjoys plenty of success against New York and is 5-1 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 career starts against the Mets.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets 3B David Wright is 1-for-18 in his last five games and could sit in the final after starting the team’s first 62 contests.

2. San Francisco LHP Jeremy Affeldt got the win in each of the first two games of the series and has not allowed a run in his last eight appearances.

3. New York is 22-for-113 with runners in scoring position over the first 10 games of its road trip, which ends Sunday.

PREDICTION: Giants 5, Mets 3