Oakland @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 22, 2011 ) Oakland 2, NY Mets 3

THE STORY: The New York Mets got some bad news early in the day on Wednesday but did not appear discouraged, as they battled through 13 innings to pick up their first walk-off victory of the season. For all the problems the Mets have had this season, there have been plenty of things to keep fans talking, like the play of youngsters Lucas Duda and Justin Turner. The Oakland Athletics were on the bad side of that 13-inning affair, watching their six-game winning streak come to an end late in the night. They will be trying to bounce back when they visit the Mets once again for the rubber match of the three-game set on Thursday afternoon.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSCA, SNY

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Chris Capuano (5-7, 4.29 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Graham Godfrey (1-0, 4.76 ERA)

Capuano turned in his third straight quality start last time out but was hurt by a pair of errors in suffering the loss. The veteran lefthander has allowed two earned runs or less in seven of his last nine turns to become one of the more reliable pieces of New York’s staff. Capuano has lost twice to AL teams already this season and owns a career 5-6 record with a 5.50 ERA in 14 games - 13 starts - during interleague play.

Godfrey was knocked around for five runs in his major league debut on June 10 but bounced back nicely last Friday against San Francisco, yielding two runs - one earned - and six hits over seven innings to earn his first major league win. The 26-year old Florida native was 7-1 with a 2.32 ERA in the minors this season to earn his promotion.

ABOUT THE METS (36-38): After getting the news on Wednesday afternoon that first baseman Ike Davis could be looking at season-ending surgery on his balky left ankle, New York went out and snapped a two-game slide. Francisco Rodriguez blew the save in the ninth inning but the team did not quit. Turner, who ended up with two RBIs, took one for the team when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 13th, forcing in Duda with the winning run. Jose Reyes, who tripled and scored in the eighth, took over the NL lead with his 55th run scored in the contest. David Wright, who has been out since May 16 with a back injury, is scheduled to be evaluated on Thursday.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (34-41): Oakland batters struck out 16 times on Wednesday, with 11 of those K’s coming from the top four spots in the lineup. With Josh Willingham sitting out a fourth straight game with an Achilles injury, Hideki Matsui got a second start in left field. The veteran made some nice plays in the field but went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts at the plate, including the final out in the top of the 13th. Still, Oakland has to be happy with the way it has played under interim manager Bob Melvin, posting a 7-5 mark and hanging around the fringes of the American League West race.

FINAL PITCH: Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Athletics activated second baseman Mark Ellis from the disabled list and - in a mild surprise - sent first baseman Daric Barton to Class AAA Sacramento. Barton, who was one of the few bright spots for the team in 2010 with a .273 batting average and .392 on-base percentage, had slumped to .212 and .325 in 67 games this season. Most disturbing was a lack of power, with no home runs and a paltry .267 slugging percentage.