Philadelphia @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 8, 2018 ) Philadelphia 5, NY Mets 10

The Philadelphia Phillies will have to solve New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom if they are to avoid their seventh straight series loss when the teams meet Sunday in the Big Apple. The National League East rivals have split the first two games of the three-game series, with the Mets coasting to a 10-5 victory Saturday night.

Todd Frazier homered and drove in four runs while Jeff McNeil had three hits and scored twice for New York, dropping the Phillies 3 1/2 games behind first-place Atlanta in the division. DeGrom continues to lead the majors in ERA by a comfortable margin and is 7-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 14 career starts against the Phillies. He will be trying to pitch the Mets to their 21st series win in the last 27 tries against Philadelphia, which is 25-47 against New York since the start of 2015. Cesar Hernandez was 4-for-4 with three RBIs in Saturday's loss for the Phillies, who turn to Vince Velasquez in the series finale.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (9-10, 4.10 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (8-8, 1.68)

Velasquez has not lasted beyond five innings in over a month, allowing three runs in five frames in a loss at Miami on Monday. He sparkled through six scoreless innings at New York on July 11 for his first win in seven career starts against the Mets. Michael Conforto is 4-for-9 with two homers and three walks in his career against the 26-year-old Velasquez.

The 30-year-old deGrom's ERA over his last four starts is 0.93, a stretch that began with a complete-game win at Philadelphia on Aug. 18 in which he allowed one unearned run. He received another hard-luck no-decision at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, giving up a run and two hits in six innings of a game the Mets would win 4-2. The Stetson University product, who needs nine strikeouts to match his career high of 239, has a 1.59 ERA in 14 home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard left Saturday's game after taking a line drive to the ribs. X-rays were negative.

2. Phillies 1B Carlos Santana is batting .341 during a 10-game hitting streak.

3. McNeil has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 starts.

PREDICTION: Mets 5, Phillies 2