Miami @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 5, 2016 ) NY Mets 0, Miami 1

After beginning their 11-game homestand with an impressive showing against the team with the best record in baseball, the New York Mets look to avoid a letdown when they host the Miami Marlins on Monday afternoon for the opener of their three-game series. New York followed three straight losses to the National League East-leading Nationals in Washington by kicking off its string at home with a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, which it completed with a 14-3 drubbing on Sunday.

Wilmer Flores led the Mets' 22-hit attack, belting a pair of home runs en route to joining Edgardo Alfonzo as the only players in franchise history to go 6-for-6 in a game. Miami improved to 2-4 on its nine-game road trip with a 5-2 triumph over Atlanta on Sunday at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The top-third of the Marlins' lineup did most of the damage, as J.T. Realmuto, Martin Prado and Christian Yelich combined to record nine of the team's 13 hits and drive in four of the five runs while scoring three of them. All three players are batting .314 or better, with Prado leading the way with a .320 average thanks to three performances of three or more hits over his last five contests.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Tom Koehler (6-7, 4.45 ERA) vs. Mets RH Matt Harvey (4-10, 4.55)

Koehler has struggled of late, surrendering nine runs and 15 hits over nine innings in his last two starts after yielding three runs or fewer in each of his previous nine outings. The 30-year-old native of the Bronx, New York had his three-start road winning streak snapped on Wednesday, when he was tagged for five runs and eight hits in three frames of a loss at Detroit. Koehler fell to 2-6 in 18 career games (15 starts) versus the Mets on June 3, when he gave up three runs and six hits in six innings.

Harvey is winless in his last five starts despite allowing fewer than three runs in four of those outings, with all four taking place on the road. The 27-year-old from Connecticut suffered the loss at Washington on Tuesday, when he gave up one run on four hits and three walks in a turn that was reduced to 3 2/3 innings due to rain. Harvey dropped to 2-3 in eight career starts against the Marlins on June 5 even though he yielded just one run and four hits over seven frames in Miami.

WALK-OFFS

1. By recording six hits on Sunday, Flores matched the total from his previous 12 games.

2. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is a dismal 1-for-13 lifetime with seven strikeouts against Harvey.

3. New York 2B Neil Walker went 6-for-17 with a homer and four RBIs in the series against Chicago.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Marlins 2