The set-up: The New York Mets will attempt to earn a split of their four-game series at San Francisco, after winning 9-5 Saturday afternoon at AT&T Park. The Giants had won 10-7 and 8-1 the first two games but a three-HR outburst led the way to yesterday's victory. Yoenis Cespedes, who returned from a 15-day stint on the disabled list, had two of Saturday's HRs for the Mets, with the first traveling 457 feet (one foot shy of the being the longest hit at AT&T Park this season!). The Giants will probably go without their hottest hitter and one of their best base-stealers in Angel Pagan on Sunday. He experienced tightness in his right groin while chasing a fly ball in Saturday's game and had to be pulled in the fourth inning.

The pitching matchup: Noah Syndergaard (10-7, 2.76 ERA) goes for the Mets and Jeff Samardzija (10-8, 4.24 ERA) for the Giants. With injuries and struggles by a number of New York's highly-touted starting rotation being the norm in 2016, Syndergaard has assumed the role of ace for this year's pitching staff. However, Syndergaard has faced the Giants twice and lost both games, allowing eight ERs in 11 2/3 innings and his 6.17 ERA is his highest among teams against which he's started at least twice.
Samardzija has struggled even more against the Mets than Syndergaard has against Giants. He has faced New York nine times in his career, three times as a starter, and has come away with an 0-3 record and 8.72 ERA. The record is Samardzija's worst against all opponents and the ERA is his second-highest among clubs against which he has started two more times.

The pick: Noting all of the above, Syndrgaard owns an outstanding 2.60 road ERA this season (as well as a solid 1.12 WHIP) and Samardzija is off back-to-back solid outings (2.31 ERA). After three straight "overs" in this series, tonight's Sunday finale figures to be a much lower scoring game. the Under is a 10* play.