NEW YORK -- Six months ago, it would have been easy to make a case that a brief August series between the Texas Rangers and New York Mets might serve as a World Series preview.
However, there will be no glimpses at a potential Fall Classic on Tuesday night when the Mets host the Rangers in the opener of a two-game set between a pair of disappointing teams at Citi Field.
Mets rookie Chris Flexen (0-1, 12.00 ERA) will oppose Rangers veteran Andrew Cashner (7-8, 3.36 ERA) in a battle of right-handers.
Both teams were off Monday following losses on Sunday. The Mets were one-hit by the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-0 defeat at Citi Field that capped a three-game sweep. The visiting Rangers fell to the Minnesota Twins 6-5 at Target Field.
The loss was the seventh in the past eight games for the Mets, who have been outscored 48-25 in that span.
New York, which made the playoffs the past two seasons but raised the white flag at the trade deadline this year by jettisoning first baseman Lucas Duda and closer Addison Reed, has the fifth-worst record in the National League and is 13 games behind in the wild-card race.
In addition, the Mets (49-60) are 11 games under .500 for the first time since July 5, 2014.
"We've got to swing the bats a little bit better," Mets outfielder Michael Conforto said following the Sunday game. "We've got to pitch better. And that's really the name of the game."
The Rangers finished with the best record in the American League last season, when they were swept in the Division Series by the Toronto Blue Jays, but they enter Tuesday with the junior circuit's fifth-worst record at 53-58.
However, thanks to the parity in the AL, Texas is just four games out of the second wild-card spot. Nonetheless, general manager Jon Daniels was a seller at the deadline, when he traded ace right-hander Yu Darvish to the Dodgers.
The Rangers' loss on Sunday, in a game they led 5-0 in the first inning, was indicative of the close-but-not-quite nature of their season thus far.
"We weren't able to keep attacking," Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "We created some situations and came up short. It's tough when you start a game like that leading 5-0."
Flexen will make his third career start, and his first at home, on Tuesday night. He didn't factor into the decision Wednesday when he allowed five runs over three innings as the Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 10-5.
It was the second straight start in which Flexen lasted only three innings, though he likely would have pitched longer Wednesday if not for a blister. He is expected to pitch without restrictions Tuesday.
Cashner won his third consecutive start Wednesday, when he allowed one run over six innings as the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1. He has a 2.37 ERA during the winning streak, a stretch in which he has lowered his overall ERA from 3.58 to 3.36.
Flexen has never faced the Rangers. Cashner is 0-3 with a 6.18 ERA in nine career appearances (four starts) against the Mets. He has not faced New York this season.
