The New York Mets and Yankees split the first half of the Subway Series. Now, who will finish the job this time around at Citi Field?
Not a whole lot has changed since June 11, the day the New York Mets and the New York Yankees last faced off in the Bronx.
Well, not a lot has changed besides the fact that the Bombers have turned into the Bombers once again and the Mets have become media anti-darlings for their antics both on and off the field.
The second part of the 2019 Subway Series will kickstart at Citi Field on Tuesday night and the series is far more important for the Mets than it is the Yankees.
The Yankees have been absolutely rolling, coming off two-straight beatings of the Boston Red Sox across the pond. With jet lag as a factor, the Mets better take advantage for their own playoff lives before the All-Star break rolls around.
Let’s take a peek at what to expect in this two-game set in New York.
With the Injured List dwindling down for both squads, they will enter the series with lineups far more similar to that of Opening Day.
With Gary Sanchez under question to play, the Yankees are now bringing Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius to the table, fully healthy and ready to rake. They are also coming off a hot series in London where they flexed their muscles with runners in scoring position.
Perhaps the biggest story here will be DJ LeMahieu against Jeff McNeil. Both have been having stellar seasons for their respective teams and debates have been going on about which is the better hitter. Thomas Hall of ESNY took on that challenge in his latest piece.
For the Bombers, their hottest hitters in the past week have been LeMahieu and Judge, followed closely by Luke Voit, who took Game 2 in London off due to injury. The Mets bring J.D. Davis and McNeil as their hottest hitters, followed by Robinson Cano, who is hitting .381 in his last six games.
Fans should get ready for some more home runs. So far, the Yankees have 138 but the Mets are not far behind, hitting 121 so far this season. It’s the perfect time for some more fireworks in the Big Apple.
In terms of starting pitching, the Yankees and Mets will send the same starters from their last series in this two-game set. James Paxton is coming off a rough outing against the Toronto Blue Jays where he allowed six earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Zack Wheeler will counter, coming off six innings of one-run ball in Philadelphia. Wheeler’s numbers have been decent so far this year, so much so that he’s been the talk amongst teams looking to buy at the trade deadline.
Game 2 will feature a Yankees start who will be determined at a later date and Jason Vargas. Despite his 3-3 record, Vargas has a 3.66 ERA and has had quite a few great outings for a struggling Mets team.
The Yankees are winners of their last five straight and 13 of their last 14 contests. The Mets are on the opposite end of the spectrum, having just snapped their seven-game losing streak.
The Mets need this series far more than the Yankees do. Not just for New York pride, but for their entire season. They have sunk to fourth in the National League East and their playoff hopes are circling the drain.
The Yankees would love to capture a few more wins but it’s not entirely vital. For the Mets, this is entering do-or-die territory.
Subway Series part two in the Big Apple. Who do you have taking the crown?
