New York @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2019 ) NY Mets 2, Cincinnati 3

The New York Mets can't afford any more losses with their postseason hopes hanging by a thread and failing to take advantage of a team below them in the standings could signal the end of their late run. The Mets will try to bounce back and take the rubber match when they visit the Cincinnati Reds for the finale of a three-game series on Sunday.

New York trails the Milwaukee Brewers by 4 1/2 games in the race for the second wild card with eight games remaining and lost a game in the standings on Saturday, when a bullpen that has been the Achilles heel of the team all season combined with some shaky play in the field to surrender a run in the eighth inning of a 3-2 setback. "The way we lost hurts," Mets manager Mickey Callaway told reporters. "We had multiple chances. Couple of mistakes in the field. We have very few games left. You come here every day to get after it. You have to keep on doing that." The Reds have been playing spoiler for weeks and are looking to add New York to a list that includes the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs among wild card-contending teams that have dropped recent series against Cincinnati. The Mets will try to keep hope alive on Sunday behind right-hander Marcus Stroman while dealing with Reds righty Trevor Bauer.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, WPIX (New York), FS Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Marcus Stroman (9-13, 3.21 ERA) vs. Reds RH Trevor Bauer (11-12, 4.41)

Stroman is coming off his best start since arriving in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline and held the Rockies to four hits over seven scoreless innings to pick up a win in Colorado on Tuesday. That makes back-to-back wins and quality starts for the Duke product, who yielded one run in 6 1/3 frames against Arizona on Sep. 12. Stroman won his lone previous start against Cincinnati and is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in nine outings with New York.

Bauer is coming off his best start with his new team as well after holding Arizona to one run and four hits while striking out nine in eight frames last Sunday. The UCLA product got off to a shaky start after switching leagues at the deadline and is 2-4 with a 6.39 ERA in nine starts with the Reds. Bauer is making his first career start against the Mets.

WALK-OFFS

1. Reds OF Jeff VanMeter was scratched from Saturday's lineup and was among five Cincinnati players sent home with flu-like symptoms.

2. Mets OF Michael Conforto is 1-for-25 over the last eight games.

3. New York 1B Pete Alonso went 0-for-4 on Saturday and remains two home runs shy of matching the rookie record set by Aaron Judge (52, 2017).

PREDICTION: Mets 6, Reds 5