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Mets-Pirates Preview

Jul 2, 2009 - 5:18 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

New York (37-39) at Pittsburgh (36-41), 12:35 p.m. EDT

The Mets and the Pirates are the two most power-starved teams in the major leagues, but failure to hit home runs wasn't the only problem New York had in Pittsburgh earlier this season.

The Pirates look to complete a rare four-game home sweep of the Mets on Thursday as the teams make up a game that was postponed June 3 by rain.

The Mets (38-39) are tied with Pittsburgh (36-42) for last in the majors with 49 homers. Gary Sheffield leads New York with 10 while Adam LaRoche has a team-high 11 for the Pirates.

New York, which hasn't been swept in a four-game set at Pittsburgh since Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1989 when both clubs were in the NL East, has gone deep 16 time since June 1, and has greatly been affected by injuries to sluggers Carlos Delgado (hip) and Carlos Beltran (knee) among others.

The Mets' lineup averaged 2.4 runs in losing five straight to close out last month, and had just five hits Thursday in Milwaukee. That, however, proved to be good enough as Mike Pelfrey's 7 2-3 shutout innings helped carry New York to a 1-0 win.

"If the starting pitcher goes out there and works fast, throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground, it keeps everybody involved, and that's what (Pelfrey) did today," manager Jerry Manuel told the Mets' official Web site. "That's a big effort from him."

Ryan Church drove in the only run, and he batted .583 (7 for 12) in the series with Milwaukee. He missed all three games last month in Pittsburgh with a strained right hamstring.

The Pirates dropped their series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday, mustering six hits in the 4-1 loss. It was the major league-high 20th time Pittsburgh scored one run or fewer, and they've yet to win any of them.

"They say hitting is contagious. I guess not hitting is contagious, too," shortstop Jack Wilson told the Pirates' official Web site. "We fall into these ruts where we get our chances and don't capitalize."

Pittsburgh is 4-18 this season when limited to six hits or less.

Tim Redding (1-3, 6.35 ERA) will get the ball for New York, and he's struggled since entering the rotation in mid-May. The right-hander gave up five runs and six hits - including two homers - in 5 1-3 innings Saturday while the Mets managed only one hit in a 5-0 loss to the New York Yankees.

Redding is 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA in five outings in Pittsburgh and Wilson is hitting .385 (10 for 26) versus him.

The Pirates counter with Paul Maholm (5-4, 4.35), who faced the Mets on May 9 in New York, yielding seven runs and 10 hits over five innings in a 10-1 loss. He's 3-2 with a 3.65 ERA in six career starts versus the Mets.

Maholm is 3-1 with a 1.96 ERA in six home starts this season, and he looked solid there against Kansas City on Friday. The left-hander gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings in a 6-2 win.

"He really settled in and gave us a quality outing," manager John Russell said. "He threw a very good game for us."