• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Maine, Mets look for fourth straight win

Aug 4, 2007 - 1:36 PM NY Mets (62-47) at Chicago Cubs (57-51) 3:55 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The New York Mets send John Maine to the mound looking to match their longest winning streak of the season.

The Mets aim to win their fourth straight contest when they face the Chicago Cubs in the middle game of a three-game series on Saturday.

In a battle of division leaders, New York broke a 2-2 tie by scoring four runs off Chicago closer Ryan Dempster in the ninth inning on Friday. It was the Mets' third consecutive win, leaving them one shy of four straight, which they have done six other times in 2007.

The loss was the second in a row for Chicago, which dropped a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central.

Maine (12-5, 2.92 ERA) toes the rubber seeking to become the NL's third 13-game winner. The Cubs' Carlos Zambrano (14) and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Brad Penny (13) are the other two hurlers to reach that number.

The righthander, who will be looking to win his third straight start, is 6-1 in his last eight outings. He yielded one hit and struck out five in five innings in a rain-shortened, 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.

Maine is 0-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three career appearances - two starts - against the Cubs.

Chicago counters with Ted Lilly (11-5, 3.60), who absorbed his first loss in seven starts when he allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings in a 4-1 setback to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday.

The lefthander is 0-1 with a 6.52 ERA in three games - two starts - against the Mets.