New York @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2016 ) NY Mets 9, San Francisco 5

If the New York Mets are to climb back into National League wild card contention, they'll need Yoenis Cespedes to keep producing as they vie for a four-game series split in San Francisco against the Giants on Sunday night. Cespedes homered twice Saturday - and nearly hit a third - in his second game back after missing the previous 14 because of a strained right quadriceps, leading New York to a 9-5 victory and maintaining its flickering hopes alive of defending the NL pennant.

The Mets (61-62) are in the middle of a season-defining stretch, standing 4 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card spot, and conclude their 10-game road trip with three against the Cardinals beginning Tuesday. New York struggles offensively, so Cespedes and his 24 home runs, 62 RBIs and .293 batting average - all team bests - are vital to the cause. San Francisco (68-55) enters Sunday one-half game ahead of Los Angeles in the NL West, but is 11-22 since the All-Star break and hasn't won more than two straight during that stretch. The Mets' Noah Syndergaard snapped a six-start winless streak (0-4, 3.78 ERA) while homering for the third time this season in his last start and opposes Jeff Samardzija, who has pitched well in his last two games following a three-game losing streak.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (10-7, 2.76 ERA) vs. Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (10-8, 4.24)

Syndergaard yielded four runs (two earned) and seven hits with eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of a 7-5 victory in Arizona on Aug. 16. The 23-year-old Texan permitted four Diamondbacks to steal a base, raising his total allowed to 40 - the most in baseball by 18 over Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson. Syndergaard is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in two starts versus San Francisco after yielding four runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-1 loss May 1.

Samardzija received a no-decision after yielding three runs and six hits with five strikeouts in six innings of the Giants' 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 31-year-old Indiana native rebounded from permitting 14 runs in 18 2/3 innings during his slide by allowing three hits in 5 2/3 frames of San Francisco's 1-0 victory at Miami on Aug. 10. Jay Bruce has struck out 12 times in 34 at-bats while Cespedes has gone deep twice in 13 at-bats versus Samardzija, who is 0-3 with an 8.72 ERA in nine games (three starts) against New York after allowing seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of a loss while with Oakland in 2014.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets 2B Neil Walker (.281, 22 home runs, 54 RBIs), who is 5-for-25 with two homers versus Samardzija, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored Saturday in his first game since missing four because of a sore lower back.

2. Giants LF Angel Pagan (.299) went 1-for-2 on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 18 games before leaving with tightness in his right groin. He is batting .356 with 14 runs during the run.

3. New York activated RHP Jim Henderson from the disabled list Saturday and optioned RHP Erik Goeddel to Triple-A Las Vegas. Henderson was out since June 21 with shoulder tendinitis.

PREDICTION: Giants 3, Mets 2