New York @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2013 ) NY Mets 2, Cincinnati 3

The Cincinnati Reds clinched a playoff spot Monday night but they have little time to celebrate entering the second of a three-game series against the visiting New York Mets on Tuesday. The Reds remained tied with Pittsburgh for the top wild card and trail first-place St. Louis by two games with five to play. "We're excited, obviously," Reds shortstop Zack Cozart said. "We're in the division hunt. We're not happy with a wild card."

Shin-Soo Choo returned to the lineup after missing two games with a thumb injury and made an immediate impact with three hits, including a walk-off single off the wall in the 10th inning as the Reds wrapped up a postseason berth for the third time in four years. New York was denied a four-game winning streak despite a solo homer and sacrifice fly by Lucas Duda. The Reds have won all four meetings against the Mets this season.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Jonathon Niese (7-8, 3.81 ERA) vs. Reds RH Mike Leake (14-6, 3.21)

Niese was a hard-luck loser last time out, limiting San Francisco to two runs on seven hits in seven innings. Niese has made eight starts since missing nearly two months with a partially torn rotator cuff and logged a 4-2 mark while allowing three runs or fewer six times. He gave up three runs in six innings of a 4-0 loss to the Reds on May 21 to fall to 1-3 with a 4.55 ERA in five starts against them.

Leake turned in a dominant performance in his last turn, blanking Houston on five hits in eight innings to extend his scoreless streak to 20 1/3 frames. It was the third consecutive victory for Leake, who has rebounded nicely from a four-start stretch in which he was roughed up for 19 runs in 21 2/3 innings. Leake beat Niese and the Mets in May with seven scoreless innings of three-hit ball.

WALK-OFFS

1. Leake is 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA in five starts against New York.

2. Mets 3B David Wright is 1-for-13 against Leake.

3. Reds 1B Joey Votto tied a single-game record with five walks Monday, which also tied him with Joe Morgan (1975) for the most walks in a season with 132.

PREDICTION: Reds 3, Mets 2