Los Angeles @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 20, 2012 ) LA Dodgers 7, NY Mets 6

The Los Angeles Dodgers took off at the beginning of the season because Matt Kemp went on a tear. It looks like the MVP candidate may be getting hot again. Kemp has homered in back-to-back games to help the Dodgers to their first winning streak of the second half at two games. The New York Mets are trying to stay in the race in the National League but have only one win in seven games since the break.

While the Dodgers' offense stalled with Kemp and Andre Ethier on the disabled list, the two are healthy now and are beginning to find a rhythm. Kemp is batting .370 (10-for-27) is six games since his return and followed up a walk-off home run on Wednesday with a two-run shot in the first inning of Friday’s series opener in New York. The Mets have slipped to one game over .500 (47-46) and are not getting the kind of pitching they need since the break. New York has allowed an average of six runs in its last seven games.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, KCAL (Los Angeles), WPIX (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Chris Capuano (9-5, 2.75 ERA) vs. Mets RH Miguel Batista (1-2, 4.33)

Capuano has not won since June 23 and is coming off back-to-back losses. The veteran left-hander, who went 11-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 31 starts for the Mets last season, is 2-2 with a 5.64 ERA in his last four road starts. Capunao has never beaten New York in his career, going 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA in six career starts. David Wright is 5-for-16 with a pair of home runs off Capuano.

Batista is filling in for Dillon Gee (shoulder) and will be making his fifth start among 30 appearances for the Mets this season. The veteran right-hander has allowed at least one run in five of his last nine appearances and has not gone more than two innings since May 14. Batista surrendered an unearned run in a relief appearance at Los Angeles on July 1. Kemp and Ethier are a combined 8-for-16 off Batista.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mets INF Jordany Valdespin hit his fourth pinch-hit home run on Friday, tying for the major-league lead and matching the franchise single-season record.

2. Dodgers RHP Chad Billingsley (elbow) and LHP Ted Lilly (shoulder) both threw off a mound on Friday. Billingsley could return to the rotation on Monday.

3. Kemp is a .344 career hitter against the Mets with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 43 games.