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Mets eye fifth straight win against Pirates

Sep 25, 2012 - 3:19 PM (Sports Network) - Midseason trade acquisition Wandy Rodriguez makes his 11th start in a Pittsburgh uniform tonight when the Pirates visit the New York Mets for the second of four games at Citi Field.

A 33-year-old Dominican southpaw, Rodriguez was 7-9 in 21 starts for Houston before the July trade and has since appeared in 11 games - starting 10 - with the Pirates while posting a 3.71 earned run average.

He's won three straight decisions with Pittsburgh in his last five starts, combining to allow 24 hits and 10 runs in 29 2/3 innings in the five games - in which Pittsburgh is 3-2.

Rodriguez last faced the Mets while with Houston on May 2 and emerged with an 8-1 win after allowing a run on six hits in seven innings.

He's 4-2 in eight career starts against New York with a 2.68 ERA.

The Mets oppose Rodriguez with rookie right-hander Collin McHugh, who'll make his sixth attempt at a first career victory.

The 25-year-old debuted on Aug. 23 against Colorado and made three starts through Sept. 10, dropping a pair of decisions while allowing 13 hits and nine runs across 15 innings.

He's since pitched twice in relief, going two-thirds of an inning at Milwaukee and tossing three innings at home against Philadelphia while allowing two runs on five hits with no walks or strikeouts.

McHugh has mixed in his major-league appearances with 25 starts in the minors, going 7-9 with a 2.91 ERA while splitting time at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Buffalo.

On Monday, Ike Davis hit two homers and knocked in five runs to lead the Mets to a 6-2 victory.

Davis smacked a two-run blast and a three-run shot in consecutive innings for the Mets, who have won four games in a row after losing five straight.

Making his second start of the season, Jenrry Mejia (1-1) tossed five scoreless for New York, but manager Terry Collins capped the 22-year-old's night after throwing 96 pitches. He allowed just four hits and struck out four to earn his first major league win.

"He was really inconsistent with throwing strikes so it kind of made him effective," Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen said. "He was utilizing that I guess and it was working for him."

Kyle McPherson's (0-2) start lasted just 4 1/3 innings after putting two runners on in the fifth. He surrendered Davis' first homer and was charged with four runs on four hits. He struck out three.

Garrett Jones and Jose Tabata each drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which has dropped a woeful 18 of its last 23 games.

The Mets won two of three from the Pirates in their lone series of 2012, from May 21-23 in Pittsburgh.