(Sports Network) - Towering right-hander Mike Pelfrey aims for a return to winning today when the New York Mets host the San Francisco Giants in the finale of a three-game series at Citi Field.
A 15-game winner a season ago, Pelfrey has won just once in six starts this season while allowing 42 hits and 25 runs in 28 innings.
He was 0-2 with a pair of no-decisions in his first four outings before recording his initial victory - a 4-1 decision over Arizona in which he allowed just five hits and a run in seven innings with four strikeouts. The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder was raked a start later, however, giving up eight hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 10-3 loss at Philadelphia. He's split a pair of career decisions against San Francisco with a 2.28 earned run average in 27 2/3 innings. The Giants, meanwhile, go with lefty Jonathan Sanchez, who'll go for a sixth straight start without a loss. The 28-year-old was a 4-3 loser at Los Angeles after 5 2/3 innings of work in an April 1 start, but has subsequently won twice and gotten three no-decisions in five outings. The most recent came April 30 at Washington, when he gave up two hits and an unearned run with seven strikeouts in five innings, while getting a no- decision in the Giants' 2-1 win. He's 2-1 in eight games - six starts - against the Mets with a 3.89 ERA in 39 1/3 innings. On Wednesday, Tim Lincecum struck out 12 in seven shutout innings, leading the Giants in a 2-0 victory. Aubrey Huff went 3-for-4 with a double, while Mike Fontenot and Pat Burrell drove in runs for San Francisco, which has won the first two in this three- game series. Lincecum (3-3) allowed five hits and walked three, but held New York off the scoreboard and snapped a two-start losing streak. Chris Capuano (2-3) got the loss despite allowing just two runs in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander gave up eight hits and walked three in the Mets' fourth loss in five games. The Giants won four of seven over the Mets a season ago, but are just 5-7 in Flushing since the start of 2008.