(SportsNetwork.com) - Neither the New York Mets or Philadelphia Phillies have been happy with their offensive production as of late and both are looking to shake things up ahead of Friday night's opener of a three-game set between the NL East rivals.
The Mets return home following a 2-6 road trip, a trek that concluded with a three-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. New York was shut out in the final two games of the set and has been held scoreless for 23 straight innings since Bobby Abreu's sacrifice fly in the fourth frame of Monday's opener.
Given a prime chance to salvage Wednesday's finale, the Mets instead lost 1-0 when the Marlins' Marcell Ozuna lifted a sac fly to center with two outs in the ninth inning.
"We just haven't gotten any hits," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's gone with the whole offensive package so far. We've been struggling offensively."
Looking for a spark, the Mets are expected to recall Wilmer Flores from Triple-A Las Vegas ahead of this game, with infielder Omar Quintanilla slated to be designated for assignment.
Ranked New York's fourth-best prospect by MLB.com, Flores is hitting .307 with five homers and 25 RBI in 29 games this season with Las Vegas.
New York shifted him to shortstop ahead of this season in an effort to find him a place in the lineup, but the 22-year-old did commit seven errors in 25 games at the position at Triple A this year.
The Mets, though, appear willing to role the defensive dice with Flores.
The Phillies aren't blessed with an offensive prospect to lean on like their NL East counterparts, but will need to find something after getting outscored 31-11 in four straight losses to the Toronto Blue Jays. They were shut out twice in that span and lost a 12-6 decision in Toronto on Thursday.
"We weren't fundamentally sound for the four games (against Toronto)," said Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg. "A lot of the fundamental things we didn't execute."
Infielder Freddy Galvis, who missed time earlier this season with a MRSA infection in his left knee, was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after Thursday's loss as was batting just .048 in 16 games.
Philadelphia will make a corresponding move sometime before this game and also is hoping to get Jimmy Rollins back in the field. He has not started at shortstop since last Sunday due to a right groin injury and was limited to designated hitting duties in the two games at Toronto.
Roberto Hernandez will make the start tonight for the Phillies and is coming off his best outing of the season.
Set to have another start skipped due to off days, Hernandez instead faced the Washington Nationals on Sunday due to Cole Hamels coming down with the flu and hurled 7 1/3 scoreless innings of four-hit ball to win a 1-0 decision.
It was the 33-year-old right's first victory since his Phils debut on April 4 and improved him to 2-1 with a 4.50 earned run average on the season.
"I think he's gotten better as we've gone along as far as command and control and really using his pitches," Sandberg said of Hernandez.
Hernandez's one relief outing this season came versus the Mets on April 29 as he came on to record one out in facing the club for the first time.
Right-hander Jenrry Mejia will try to avoid a third straight rough outing for the Mets tonight and is 0-1 lifetime versus the Phillies with a 7.71 ERA in four meetings (1 start).
Mejia yielded just five runs over his first four outings of the season, but has yielded 14 over consecutive no-decisions. He allowed six runs over 5 2/3 frames of the Mets' 7-6 loss to Miami on April 26 and was then tagged for eight runs in 4 1/3 innings of a game New York lost 11-10 to Colorado on Saturday.
The 24-year-old is still unbeaten on the year at 3-0, but his ERA has jumped to 5.23.
The Mets and Phillies got just one of their two scheduled games in due to weather to cap April. New York notched a 6-1 win on April 29, its fifth straight victory over Philadelphia.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.