(Sports Network) - The red-hot New York Mets will try to keep the San Francisco Giants off the board for the third straight time when the two ballclubs wrap up a three-game series today at Shea Stadium.

The Mets handed the Giants a 7-0 loss in Tuesday's series opener before posting a 5-0 victory last night behind five shutout innings from two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana. Santana allowed three hits, walked three batters and struck out five before being lifted in favor of Aaron Heilman, following a rain delay. Santana had been 0-4 with a 2.48 earned run average over his previous six starts.

Ramon Castro set the tone early with a three-run homer in the fourth inning, as the Mets posted their fifth straight victory, the most since Jerry Manuel took over as manager for the fired Willie Randolph. Carlos Delgado had three hits and scored twice in a winning effort for New York, which is tied with Florida at 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia for the NL East lead.

New York, which has won seven of nine games overall, is 2-0 on a six-game homestand and 24-18 at Shea Stadium this season. It is set to post its first three-game sweep by shutout since holding Philadelphia scoreless in September of the 1969 season. The Giants had it done to them by the Montreal Expos in September of the 1980 campaign.

John Maine will handle pitching duties for the Mets on Thursday, and he is 8-6 with a 3.91 ERA in 18 starts this season.

Maine is 0-1 in his previous two starts since a personal two-game winning streak. He did not factor in the outcome of a 9-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, as he gave up a three-run homer to Ryan Howard in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The right-handed Maine, who is 4-1 in eight starts at Shea, owns a 1-0 record and a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against San Francisco. Maine defeated the Giants on June 4 this season at AT&T Park, yielding two runs -- one earned -- in six innings of a 5-3 triumph.

San Francisco has dropped three in a row to fall to 0-2 on a six-game road trip and 22-24 away from the bay this season. In Wednesday's second straight blanking at Shea, starter Jonathan Sanchez was charged with three hits and three runs over four innings and lost for just the second time in his last eight decisions.

Aaron Rowand, Rich Aurilia and Emmanuel Burriss provided the hits for the Giants, who remain six games off the pace in the NL West division.

Barry Zito has been enjoying some success lately, and will take the ball for San Francisco today in the series finale. Zito has won two of his last three starts, including a July 5 performance versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he allowed two runs and six hits through seven frames.

Zito, who is 3-4 in eight road starts in 2008, improved to 4-12 with a 5.73 ERA after the 5-2 home victory over the Dodgers.

The left-hander and 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner faced the Mets on June 3 this season by the bay, and was saddled with the loss. Zito was reached for six runs, five of which were earned, in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-6 loss. He is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA in three career starts against today's opponent.

New York won two of three games against the Giants at AT&T Park from June 2-4 this season. The Mets have won eight of the last 11 matchups in this series.