PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Tarpons look to extend their recent dominance over the St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday night at Clover Park, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. under a forecast of 81-degree heat and rain.

Tampa (41-34) enters the contest riding a six-game winning streak and fresh off a 6-0 shutout of the Mets on Tuesday. The Tarpons, winners of five of their last six meetings with St. Lucie, have climbed above .500 with a strong stretch, including a 5-4, 10-inning victory at Dunedin on Sunday.

The Tarpons will start right-hander Brennan Stuprich (3-3), who has been unpredictable of late. Stuprich earned Sunday’s win with five innings of one-run ball, striking out three and scattering four hits. But in the two starts prior, he was tagged for a combined 13 earned runs over 8⅔ innings in losses to Fort Myers and Bradenton. His season has been a study in extremes: a brilliant 5⅓-inning, scoreless outing against Palm Beach on June 7, followed by the recent struggles.

St. Lucie (35-38) has dropped five of its last seven, including a 6-5 loss at Fort Myers on Sunday. The Mets will counter with right-hander Conner Ware (1-4), who has shown flashes of effectiveness. He allowed two earned runs over 3⅔ innings against Fort Myers on Sunday, striking out six, and pitched three scoreless frames against Daytona on June 21. However, his command has been erratic, as evidenced by a three-run, two-inning outing against Daytona on June 16.

Wednesday’s matchup pits a Tampa offense that has averaged 6.8 runs over its last five games against a St. Lucie pitching staff that allowed 12 runs in a loss to Daytona on June 24. The Tarpons’ lineup will look to capitalize on Ware’s inconsistency, while the Mets will try to solve Stuprich early.

An Interstat game simulator projects a 6-5 Tampa victory, setting the stage for a potentially tight, high-scoring affair. The teams will meet again Thursday, with the four-game series continuing through Sunday, before Tampa hosts Clearwater and St. Lucie travels to Jupiter on Tuesday.