New York @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2013 ) NY Mets 2, San Diego 8

The New York Mets are pulling up prospects by the day to give them a taste of the major leagues and show their fans the future. The Mets hope to ride those youngsters to a series win when they visit the San Diego Padres in the finale of a four-game series on Sunday. The Padres ensured there would not be a sweep behind a few of their young players in Saturday’s 8-2 victory.

New York called up top position prospect Travis d’Arnaud on Friday and gave him his first start Saturday, in which the catcher went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks. D’Arnaud could get a second straight start on Sunday when the Mets try to pair two pieces of their future together with Matt Harvey pitching to the young catcher. San Diego’s win on Saturday was just its third in the last 11 games.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (9-4, 2.23 ERA) vs. Padres LH Eric Stults (8-10, 3.68)

Harvey suffered a rare loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, allowing four runs on eight hits in six innings. The Connecticut native had tossed his first career shutout in the previous start but struck out a season-low three against the Dodgers. Harvey punched out 10 and surrendered only one hit in seven scoreless innings to beat San Diego on April 3.

Stults is winless in his last five starts and was lit up for five runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings at Colorado on Tuesday. The veteran swingman is in his first full season as a major-league starter and is 64 innings past his previous major-league high. Stults struck out seven and scattered three hits over five scoreless innings to beat New York on April 4.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres RF Will Venable attempts to run his career-high hitting streak to 15 games on Sunday.

2. New York RH Jenrry Mejia (elbow discomfort) was removed in the fourth inning on Saturday. Mejia will likely need offseason surgery to remove bone chips from the elbow.

3. San Diego RF Chris Denorfia has recorded two hits in each of his last four starts.

PREDICTION: Mets 4, Padres 1