New York @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2016 ) NY Mets 5, Cincinnati 3

The New York Mets will reach a two-year anniversary Wednesday -- the start of a streak that has seen them win 13 consecutive meetings against the Cincinnati Reds. New York has won four straight games overall and seven of the last nine as it attempts to complete a three-game sweep of the host Reds in a matinee series finale.

The Mets will send ace Noah Syndergaard to the mound in an attempt to extend that streak that began on Sept. 7, 2014, at Great American Ball Park. New York continued its domination of the Reds with a familiar formula, bashing four home runs to account for all their runs in Tuesday's 5-3 victory. Yoenis Cespedes delivered a go-ahead, two-run blast in the seventh inning to keep the Mets one game behind St. Louis in the race for the second wild card. Left fielder Adam Duvall swatted his 30th homer for Cincinnati on Tuesday, but he is 0-for-6 with four strikeouts against Syndergaard.

TV: 12:35 p.m. ET, SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (12-8, 2.56 ERA) vs. Reds RH Anthony DeSclafani (8-2, 2.93)

Although he took the loss in his last outing against the Washington Nationals, Syndergaard turned in another stellar performance by going seven innings and yielding two runs on three hits. He won his previous three starts by allowing three earned runs and 11 hits over 20 2/3 innings. Syndergaard won both starts against the Reds last year and tossed 6 2/3 innings of three-run ball in a no-decision against them on April 25.

DeSclafani settled for a no-decision against St. Louis on Friday, permitting two runs on a pair of solo homers and six hits over seven strong innings. That followed the first shutout of his career, a four-hit gem in which he stuck out nine against the Arizona Diamondbacks. DeSclafani's numbers against the Mets are brutal -- 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA and .426 batting average against in three appearances (two starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mets need 11 homers to match the franchise record of 200 in one season (2006).

2. Reds 2B Hernan Iribarren is the first player with pinch-hit triples in consecutive games since Miami's Scott Cousins in September 2010

3. Mets OF Curtis Granderson has two homers and six RBIs in his last three games.

PREDICTION: Mets 4, Reds 2