San Francisco @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2013 ) NY Mets 7, San Francisco 2
Zack Wheeler played a small role in the San Francisco Giants’ inability to defend their World Series title by capping off a New York Mets’ sweep in early July with a strong outing against his former organization. Wheeler looks to extend the Mets’ recent dominance against San Francisco starting Tuesday when they host the Giants in the opener of a three-game set. Wheeler – traded to the Mets for Carlos Beltran in 2011 – held San Francisco to one run over seven innings July 10.
New York’s three-game sweep ended a miserable 1-8 start to July for San Francisco, which has dropped five in a row to the Mets. The Giants’ track record is a little better in New York, however, where they have won two straight and six of eight overall. San Francisco enters this series with a 6-2 mark over its last eight contests due in part to the red-hot Hunter Pence, who has homered in four straight games and has 19 RBIs in his last six contests.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN Bay Area (San Francisco), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Yusmeiro Petit (3-0, 2.53 ERA) vs. Mets RH Zack Wheeler (7-5, 3.22)
Coming off a near-perfect game Sept. 6 against Arizona, Petit retired the first 11 batters he faced before giving up three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision Wednesday against Colorado. San Francisco is undefeated in his four starts, during which time he is allowing opposing hitters to bat .206 and has yet to surrender a home run. Petit will make his first appearance versus the Mets since a two-inning relief stint in 2006 and first start against them.
Wheeler permitted only one run and struck out six over eight innings, but received no help from his offense in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss against Washington. Despite the setback, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven outings. Wheeler, who is 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA at home, will make the 17th start of his career and square off against his San Francisco for the second time.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pence is hitting .421 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs in September and the 19 RBIs are the most for a Giant over a six-game span since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.
2. The Mets have scored a total of two runs in Wheeler’s last three losses.
3. San Francisco is batting .297 and has scored 77 runs in September, the first- and second-best marks in the National League over that span, respectively.
PREDICTION: Giants 3, Mets 1