SAN FRANCISCO -- With 38 games left and three teams standing between the Mets and the second NL wild card, manager Terry Collins is convinced his ballclub can still make a serious push for the playoffs.A strong outing from Noah Syndergaard and another home run from slugger Yoenis Cespedes certainly helped.Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia combined on a three-hitter and Cespedes homered off Jeff Samardzija, leading New York over the San Francisco Giants 2-0 on Sunday night.Weve had a tough time, but if youre going to win, your good players have to play good, Collins said. We ride those guys. Hopefully this is the start of what weve been looking to do.Cespedes homered for the third time in two days to help split the four-game series. It was also the 900th victory of Collins career, making him the 10th active manager to reach the milestone.Syndergaard (11-7) allowed two hits over eight innings for his second consecutive win following a six-start skid. Its Syndergaards 20th career victory in 49 games, coming in what Collins called his best outing in a long time.Syndergaard faced one over the minimum and didnt allow a runner past first base.That helped the Mets stay within 4 1/2 games of St. Louis for the second NL wild card.Today was the first day I went out there and actually relaxed and had fun, Syndergaard said. I just kept things simple. The past month and a half Ive been trying to think too far in advance.Samardzija (10-9) held the Mets hitless until Curtis Grandersons leadoff double in the seventh. Cespedes followed with his 25th home run, a towering two-run blast that appeared to clear the stands in left field.Ive had big power hitters but I havent had anybody (where) the ball comes off the barrel of the bat like that, Collins said. I mean nobody. The ball just jumps off his bat.Familia retired three batters for his major league-leading 41st save.The Giants dropped to second in the NL West after entering the day with a half-game lead on the Dodgers. Los Angeles beat Cincinnati earlier Sunday.Samardzija remained winless in four career starts against the Mets despite taking a no-hitter into the seventh. Samardzija allowed only three hits and two runs over seven innings and struck out seven.I liked where hes at and he carried that into todays game, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of Samardzija. He pitched his heart out and ran into a hot hitter.The duel between Syndergaard and Samardzija was in stark contrast to the first three games of this series, when the teams combined for 40 runs. Only two runners from either team reached second base Sunday, and both scored.San Franciscos first two baserunners were thrown out trying to steal second. Catcher Rene Rivera caught Trevor Brown in the third and Eduardo Nunez in the fourth. Prior to that, opponents had successfully stolen 40 bases in 44 attempts against New York with Syndergaard on the mound.The Giants also made a pair of sparkling defensive plays. Brandon Crawford made a diving stop on Jose Reyes sharp liner in the first inning, then second baseman Joe Panik robbed Reyes of an infield single with two outs in the sixth when he fielded a slow grounder and flipped it to first base with his glove.STOP, DROP AND ROLLMets third base coach Tim Teufel had to react quickly to avoid being hit by a line drive from left-handed hitting James Loney in the fifth. The ball narrowly missed Teufel as he dropped to the grass on his back.TRAINERS ROOMMets: Jay Bruce was back in the lineup after being held out Saturday to rest.Giants: Buster Posey did not start but had a pinch-hit single in the ninth. ... OF Angel Pagan was kept out of the lineup with tightness in his groin. Pagan has the longest active hitting streak in the majors at 18 games.UP NEXTMets: LHP Jon Niese (8-7) pitches the opener of a three-game series in St. Louis on Tuesday. Niese has given up 25 home runs this season, second-most in the NL.Giants: Madison Bumgarner (12-7) faces the Dodgers on Tuesday to begin a key series in Los Angeles between the top two teams in the NL West. Bumgarner is winless in two previous starts against the Dodgers this season. China Jerseys 2021 . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. China Jerseys 2022 . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. https://www.chinasjerseys.com/ . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Stitched China Jerseys . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. China Jerseys Wholesale . 9. Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. HOUSTON -- Seattle Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker has enjoyed a brief history of dominance over the Houston Astros, but his lingering health concerns might cloud his start against them on Tuesday night.Walker (4-6, 3.29 ERA) has been battling right posterior tibial tendinitis for weeks, a condition that grew so severe in June that he departed starts at Tampa Bay on June 14 and at Boston five days later (despite tossing five scoreless innings) early due to discomfort.He had his turn skipped in the rotation before returning last Thursday against Baltimore, against which he allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.Walker will make his 11th career start against the Astros, roughly one-fifth of his total number of starts. He is 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA against Houston, with 58 strikeouts in 52 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in six of his previous starts against the Astros and three runs or less in three others.How effectively he pitches Tuesday night might have more to do with how Walker feels physically than anything the Astros can muster with a game plan.Well see, Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Walker and his condition. It has crept up in every start, sometimes later in the starts, sometimes earlier. He has been able to manage it. He threw the ball very well the last time out. Were looking for the same thing (Tuesday).The Astros (44-39) will counter with ace left-hander Dallas Keuchel (5-9, 5.13 ERA), whose up-and-down season has included two starts against the Marinners (43-40) with a 0-1 record and 4.dddddddddddd85 ERA.Keuchel is 4-5 with a 3.09 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against Seattle. Given the Mariners left-handed-leaning lineup (including regulars Seth Smith, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Adam Lind), Keuchel would seem perfectly positioned to enjoy a rebound.Keuchel is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA over his last two starts, outings that followed a solid performance against Cincinnati when he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over seven innings while getting a no-decision.With six starts of at least seven innings on his ledger, Keuchel would serve Houston well to pitch efficiently. The Astros bullpen worked two scoreless innings on Monday in support of right-hander Lance McCullers and entered the Mariners series with the best ERA (2.54) in the American League since May 1.Right-handers Luke Gregerson and Will Harris combined for two strikeouts while retiring the six batters they faced. If Keuchel hands the bullpen a lead late on Tuesday, the Astros will like their chances to win.This is what they do, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I had (right-hander Ken) Giles up in the seventh, Lance didnt need it as he got out of it. And then Gregersons settled into the eighth-inning role. I feel confident that Luke could close any game and he probably will soon if Will needs a day off. Will continues to come in (and pitch well). ' ' '