(AP) -- The New York Mets haven't exactly been tearing the cover off the ball, but they had enough timely hitting this week to secure a series victory over the reigning National League champions.

Coming off a shutout, Henderson Alvarez will try to silent those bats altogether and prevent New York from getting a fifth win in six games Friday night when it faces the slumping Miami Marlins.

The Mets (12-10), opening the final series of their season high-tying 10-game homestand, are hitting .187 with six extra-base hits during a 4-1 stretch. But they were 7 for 21 with runners in scoring position in their three wins in a four-game series with St. Louis.