PREVIEW: Tigers at Mets

NEW YORK (Interstat) — The Detroit Tigers and New York Mets meet Wednesday night at Citi Field, two struggling teams looking to gain traction in the season’s early months. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. under cloudy skies with a game-time temperature of 56 degrees.

Detroit (19-22) enters on a high note after a 6-3 victory Sunday at Kansas City, snapping a three-game losing streak. The Tigers took two of three from the Royals and will look to even the two-game set after falling 5-2 to the Mets on Tuesday night.

New York (15-25) sits in last place in the NL East, but the Mets showed signs of life in Tuesday’s win. They had lost four of five prior, including a 5-1 defeat Sunday at Arizona in which left-hander David Peterson turned in a promising outing.

Peterson (1-3, 5.33 ERA) is a player to watch for the Mets. Over his last two appearances, he has allowed two earned runs across nine innings with nine strikeouts. On May 10 at Arizona, Peterson tossed five scoreless innings, scattering four hits while fanning three. He earned a win May 4 at Colorado with four innings of two-run ball (six strikeouts). However, inconsistency plagued him early: He surrendered seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings April 29 against Washington.

For Detroit, right-hander Enmanuel De Jesus has been effective in a bullpen role. Over his last three outings (Interstat) — May 10 against Kansas City, May 5 versus Boston and May 4 against Boston (Interstat) — De Jesus has allowed one earned run across 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts. On the season, he carries a 2-2 record with a 6.28 ERA.

The Tigers’ offense has been inconsistent. They managed just four runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of Boston from May 4-6 before rebounding in Kansas City. In Sunday’s win, pitcher Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless inning and Kyle Finnegan worked 1 2/3 hitless frames to preserve the victory.

The Mets counter with a lineup that scored five runs Tuesday for only the second time in their last eight games. Peterson’s strong start against Arizona on May 10 was wasted in a 5-1 loss, but relievers Tobias Myers and Sean Manaea combined for two scoreless innings of relief.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 5-4 victory for Detroit.

Following Wednesday’s game, the Tigers travel to Toronto for a three-game series against the Blue Jays beginning Friday. The Mets host the New York Yankees for a three-game Subway Series set starting Friday.