San Francisco @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2018 ) San Francisco 2, NY Mets 1

The San Francisco Giants continue to struggle to put runs on the board, but they got just enough to open their series at the New York Mets with a win. The Giants will try to make it two in a row and crawl a bit closer to .500 when the teams continue the four-game series at Citi Field on Tuesday.

Andrew McCutchen walked and eventually came in on a dropped pop fly in the top of the 13th inning to lift San Francisco to a 2-1 victory Monday. The marathon win snapped a four-game slide for the Giants (62-64), who have scored 22 runs over their last nine games - three of which went to extra innings. The Mets averaged 7.5 runs during a 7-4 road trip before going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 runners in the series opener. The Giants plan to recall Chris Stratton to start Tuesday's affair opposite left-hander Steven Matz for the Mets.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Chris Stratton (8-7, 5.52 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (5-10, 4.60)

Stratton is being recalled for the second time in less than a month after winning his last two starts for Triple-A Sacramento while allowing two runs in 13 combined innings. He has a woeful 14.14 ERA over his last four outings (three starts) in the majors. The former first-round pick will be facing the Mets for the first time.

Matz went on the disabled list after a disastrous outing on July 31 at Washington in which he gave up seven runs in just two-thirds of an innings, and he wasn't a whole lot better in his return from the DL. The 27-year-old allowed six runs (four earned) and five hits in two frames of a loss at Philadelphia on Thursday. Matz's only prior start against the Giants in 2016 resulted in six scoreless innings and a win.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Giants have hit two home runs in their last 115 innings.

2. Mets SS Amed Rosario has 11 runs scored in the last nine contests.

3. San Francisco optioned RHP Ray Black to Sacramento on Monday. RHP Derek Law was recalled from Sacramento in a corresponding move.

PREDICTION: Mets 6, Giants 4