New York @ St. Louis preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2012 ) NY Mets 4, St. Louis 5

The St. Louis Cardinals, who hold the down the final National League wild spot by one-half game over the Los Angeles Dodgers, host the New York Mets on Tuesday. Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran, who is hitting .160 with 23 strikeouts and zero home runs in his last 20 games, did not play Monday, but made an impact. He told manager Mike Matheny to make an appeal at first base after the Mets' Andres Torres hit an apparent leadoff double in the ninth inning, and umpire Dave Rackley ruled Torres missed the bag as the Cardinals survived for a 5-4 victory. Beltran left Sunday's game after banging his left knee on the ground while trying to catch a foul ball. The injury is not believed to be serious and he is day-to-day.

Mets rookie Matt Harvey has been nearly unhittable - 2-0, 1.80 ERA in his last three starts - as he approaches his innings limit. The Mets said Harvey, who has pitched a combined 152 1/3 frames with New York and Triple-A Buffalo, will only throw between 165-170 innings this season. Harvey will oppose the Cardinals' Jaime Garcia, who is 0-2 in three starts since missing some 2 1/2 months because of a shoulder strain. The Mets have won seven of their last nine and are 5-2 on their nine-game road trip.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Matt Harvey (3-3, 2.76 ERA) vs. Cardinals LH Jaime Garcia (3-6, 4.52)

Harvey has struck out 23 in 20 innings covering his last three starts, including six in a 3-2 victory at Philadelphia on Aug. 29 when he allowed two runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He has 49 strikeouts and allowed 30 hits with a 1.11 WHIP in 42 1/3 innings in his first seven major league starts. Harvey, a third-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2007, has never faced the Cardinals or any of their hitters.

Garcia allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings in an 8-1 loss at Washington on Thursday and has yielded 10 runs and 16 hits in 11 1/3 innings over his las two starts. In his first start since June 5, though, Garcia struck out 10 and didn't receive the decision in a 6-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Aug. 19. Garcia is winless in his last six outings (0-4) since a 4-1 victory at San Francisco on May 16. Garcia is 1-0 with a 1.31 ERA in three career starts against the Mets. David Wright is 2-for-8 against Garcia.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Cardinals have only won twice in their last seven games.

2. New York's Daniel Murphy went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Monday and leads the NL with a .344 average in day games.

3. St. Louis Skip Schumaker homered Monday for the first time since June 19, 2011.