New York @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2011 ) NY Mets 16, Detroit 9

THE STORY: With their third straight series win already clinched, the New York Mets go for the sweep Thursday afternoon when they take on the host Detroit Tigers in the finale of their three-game set. New York has been on an offensive tear as it scored a combined 30 runs in the first two games of the series and has registered a franchise-record 52 over its last four contests. The Mets figure to be hard-pressed to reach double digits for the fourth time in five games as they will face Detroit ace Justin Verlander, who is 8-0 over his last 11 starts.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.78 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (10-3, 2.38). Pelfrey is looking to rebound from a setback at Texas on Friday when he gave up four runs in six innings for his third loss in four decisions. He had allowed more than two runs in only one of his previous five starts and was coming off his first complete game since 2008. Pelfrey, who never has faced Detroit, is 1-6 with a 6.65 ERA in nine road starts this year. Verlander, who has not lost since April 27, is 6-0 with a 0.72 ERA over his last six starts. The 28-year old is coming off a victory over Arizona on Saturday in which he allowed four hits in eight scoreless innings while recording a career-high 14 strikeouts. Verlander, who has yielded fewer than three earned runs in each of his last six outings, surrendered five runs in two innings en route to a loss in his only career meeting with the Mets in 2010.

ABOUT THE TIGERS (43-38): Detroit is 3-3 on its 10-game homestand. It had outscored its opponents 24-12 over the first four contests but has given up 30 runs while scoring 12 over the first two games against New York. On Wednesday, outfielder Don Kelly became the first Tigers position player to pitch since Shane Halter in 2000. Kelly relieved David Purcey with two outs in the eighth inning and induced a flyout by Scott Hairston. Carlos Guillen went 0-for-3 for Class A Lakeland on Wednesday as he continues his rehab assignment. Guillen, who is 1-for-10 for Lakeland, is recovering from off-season knee surgery.

ABOUT THE METS (41-39): Wednesday's victory was New York's fourth in a row and sixth in seven games. The club has registered 69 hits during its four-game run and have had at least one player with four hits in each contest. Shortstop Jose Reyes failed to extend his string of four-hit performances to three games Wednesday but did manage two hits, giving him multi-hit efforts in six of his last seven contests. He leads the majors with 41 multi-hit games and tops the National League with a .349 average and 65 runs scored. The Mets had four stolen bases, increasing their major league-leading total to 83. They also top the majors with 27 triples, including Hairston's first of the year Wednesday.

FINAL PITCH: The Tigers hit five home runs Wednesday, their highest total at Comerica Park since Sept. 25, 2008. However, they became the first team to lose when outhomering its opponent by at least five since Baltimore (six) fell to Tampa Bay (one) on Aug. 28, 2007.