(Sports Network) - Streaking right-hander Mike Pelfrey can complete the New York Mets' first road sweep of the 2010 season today when they visit Camden Yards to close out a three-game interleague series with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Mets won, 3-1, on Saturday, assuring their first road series triumph of the year and upping their season mark on the road to 10-18. Entering the weekend, New York had lost seven road series and was even in two others.
Hisanori Takahashi lasted seven innings and was backed by home runs from Jose Reyes and Jeff Francoeur.
Takahashi (5-2) scattered six hits and a run while walking one and fanning two in his longest outing since joining the rotation on May 21.
Reyes led off the game with a home run and ended 2-for-3, while Francoeur cracked an eighth-inning shot for New York, which has won seven of its last eight games.
Brian Matusz (2-7) went eight innings and was charged with three runs on only five hits with four strikeouts against zero walks.
Nick Markakis' RBI double in the first accounted for the offense for Baltimore, which has 14 losses in the last 16 games and continues to struggle under interim manager Juan Samuel.
Pelfrey, the ninth overall selection in the 2005 draft, has won eight of nine decisions overall and is unbeaten in seven starts since dropping a 10-0 verdict at Philadelphia on May 1.
He's been particularly solid in his last five outings, allowing just five runs in 37 2/3 innings while paring his earned run average from 3.14 to 2.23.
The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder has held foes to a .231 batting average so far in 2010, more than 50 points less than the .289 clip they managed during Pelfrey's 10-12 performance over 31 starts last season.
He won his lone career start at Baltimore on June 16, 2009, capturing a 6-4 decision after surrendering five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.
The Orioles counter with veteran righty Kevin Millwood, who's still looking for his first win since Oct. 1, 2009, his final start of last season.
The now 36-year-old downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with a seven- hitter over nine innings that day, but has come up empty in 13 starts in April, May and June while allowing 97 hits and 49 runs in 85 1/3 innings.
He's given up 10 hits and six runs over 5 2/3 innings in two straight June outings, dropping a 6-3 and 12-7 verdicts to the New York Yankees on June 3 and 8, respectively.
Millwood is 0-2 in six starts this year at Camden Yards and is 8-5 in 23 lifetime matchups against the Mets with a 3.36 ERA.
Baltimore took two of three from the Mets last season.