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Aug 12, 2009 - 4:15 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

New York (52-61) at Arizona (52-62), 3:40 p.m. EDT

It's only taken five games for Trent Oeltjen to make his mark in the majors, and it's certainly helping the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The red-hot rookie will attempt to continue his stunning play Wednesday when the Diamondbacks attempt to beat the New York Mets for a fifth consecutive time in less than two weeks.

The Diamondbacks (52-62) purchased Oeltjen's contract from Triple-A Reno on Aug. 6 after Justin Upton landed on the disabled list with a strained right oblique. He's managed 12 hits, including three homers, in 24 at-bats with three RBIs in five games since, getting at least one hit in each contest.

"Every day I still pinch myself, is it real or is it a dream," said Oeltjen, who hit .300 with 10 homers and 61 RBIs with Reno.

The left fielder, a native of Sydney, Australia, went 4 for 4 and came a homer shy of becoming the fourth player in Arizona history to hit for the cycle while powering Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Mets (52-61). That effort came one night after he had two hits, including a solo homer, in a 7-4 victory to open this three-game series.

"He plays the game the right way," said starter Max Scherzer, who roomed with Oeltjen at Triple-A Tucson last season. "He plays it hard. He is always hustling. He always takes the extra base. Right now, he's on fire."

Arizona has won nine of 13, hitting .291 with 23 homers as a team. That stretch includes five wins in six meetings with the Mets, as the Diamondbacks took three of four at New York from July 31-Aug. 3.

They haven't beaten the Mets five consecutive times since May 2-Aug. 5, 2002, their longest winning streak in the all-time series.

Arizona will give the ball to Jon Garland (6-10, 4.33 ERA), who will try to defeat the Mets for the second time this month.

The right-hander, who is 1-2 with a 3.71 ERA in his last five starts, threw a seven-hitter in a 5-2 win at New York on Aug. 2, his first complete game in more than a year. However, he followed that up five days later by giving up five runs and eight hits in six innings while not receiving a decision in a 7-6 loss at Washington.

Garland is 1-4 with a 6.32 ERA in his last eight home starts.

Once considered a favorite in the NL East, the Mets are essentially out of the playoff race after losing 10 of 13.

"It gets to a point where it is about your pride now. It is about guys stepping up and doing what we have to do for the team," right fielder Jeff Francoeur said. "The last two-three weeks haven't gone the way we wanted it to, and it is time to get back to winning some games."

The Mets may have David Wright back in the lineup after an illness limited him to pinch-hitting duties Tuesday. The third baseman is in a 1-for-13 slump over the last four games after collecting nine hits in the previous five.

Oliver Perez (2-3, 6.38) will toe the rubber for New York looking to build on perhaps his best performance of the season.

The hard-throwing left-hander yielded one run and two hits with seven strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings, but closer Francisco Rodriguez gave up five runs, including a walk-off grand slam, in a 6-2 loss at San Diego on Friday.

Perez battled through his last start against Arizona on Aug. 1, allowing three runs with seven strikeouts and five walks on 112 pitches through five innings. He didn't get a decision in the Mets' 9-6 victory.