(Sports Network) - The Mets have shown signs of cooling off over the past week and that includes starter Mike Pelfrey.
Pelfrey will try to begin a new win streak and win his 10th game of the season this evening in the opener of a three-game series at Citi Field against the Minnesota Twins, who didn't show much life in their most recent contest according to one of their best players.
The right-handed Pelfrey is 9-2 on the season with a 2.69 earned run average and had won five straight decisions before losing to the hosting Yankees on Saturday. Pelfrey allowed five runs on seven hits over seven innings in suffering his first loss since May 1.
"I wish I would have been able to keep it going," Pelfrey told New York's website. "They gave me a lead, I gave it right back. They gave me another lead, I gave it right back. That's disappointing."
The 26-year-old will look to get back in the win column at home, where he is 5-0 this year with a 1.87 ERA. He is also 5-2 with a 4.96 ERA in nine career interleague starts and faces the Twins for the first time.
Pelfrey's last outing came at the start of a five-game stretch for New York in which it dropped three of five since winning eight in a row and 12 of its last 13. The Mets failed to secure a three-game sweep of the Tigers thanks to last night's 6-5 loss, just their second in their last 14 at home.
Hisanori Takahashi allowed six runs over four-plus innings and David Wright had an RBI double, but he also struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and the Mets down by just one run. Ike Davis followed with a fly out to end the threat.
"We had some opportunities, but at least we fought back because we were down 6-1," Jose Reyes said.
New York failed to jump past Atlanta for first place in the National League East, instead remaining a half-game back of the Braves, and fell to just 11-4 versus the AL this year.
The Twins, meanwhile, are just 7-8 versus the Senior Circuit after getting swept in three games by the Brewers. Minnesota dropped a 5-0 decision in yesterday's finale and first baseman Justin Morneau wasn't happy with his team's play.
"I didn't like our energy today," he said on the Twins' website. "We got down early and we didn't show much of a fight. Obviously you give some credit to their pitcher, but at the same time, our energy in the dugout wasn't very good."
Morneau extended his hitting streak to six games in the loss, a span in which he is hitting .462 (12-for-26) with two homers and six RBI. Nick Blackburn, though, gave up five runs over 3 2/3 innings as the Twins lost for the fifth time in seven games and saw their lead for first place in the AL Central dip to just a half-game over the Tigers.
Like Blackburn, Kevin Slowey has also struggled as of late and hopes to get on track tonight. The right-hander has allowed 12 earned runs over his last two starts, both losses that have spanned just 6 1/3 innings.
Slowey lasted just 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Atlanta on June 13, then gave up seven runs over a career-low 1 2/3 frames versus the Phillies on Saturday. He escaped with a no-decision when the Twins rallied for a 13-10 victory in extra-innings.
The 26-year-old held a 3.45 ERA on June 8, but is now 7-4 with a 4.58 ERA on the season. He has never faced the Mets but is 7-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 14 career interleague starts.
The Twins are battling the Mets for the first time since taking two of three at old Shea Stadium in 2007. Minnesota has won five of its last six over New York.