After a humiliating two-game sweep at the hands of MLB’s worst Baltimore Orioles, the New York Mets will need to shake off the embarrassment and ready themselves for a weekend clash with their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees.
After enjoying a thrilling 11-1 start to the season, the Mets have fallen on hard times, posting a 16-31 record since, and now in the midst of a six game losing streak. The Mets are in fourth place in the NL East, 7.5 games behind the first place Nationals.
In the meantime, the Yankees have posted an incredible 30-9 record since starting the season with a sluggish 9-9 mark. They trail the Red Sox by just one game (as of this writing) for first place in the AL East, and are hoping to claim that top spot on Friday when they play the Mets.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Masahiro Tanaka (7-2, 4.79 ERA) vs. Jacob deGrom (4-0, 1.49 ERA)
For the first game of the series, Japanese star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will take on Mets ace Jacob deGrom. Tanaka hasn’t had the best year for the Yankees, but has benefited from a potent offense, hence the seven wins. Overall, he has been worse away from home (5.17 ERA in seven starts away), but has luckily gone undefeated in those games (5-0). In his last three games, Tanaka is 3-0 with a 4.96 ERA and 18 punch outs.
For Jacob deGrom, he’s received the opposite. In his last three starts, he has an 0.86 ERA and 29 strikeouts, but has failed to record a win in those games. In just 12 starts this year, deGrom has been worth nearly 4.0 WAR. If you want to look at a start when he has allowed more than one run, you’d have to go back to April 16 when he allowed three runs against the Washington Nationals. DeGrom has been the cream of the crop this season, and will be a tough customer against Tanaka and the Yankees.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Domingo German (0-4, 5.44 ERA) vs. Steven Matz (2-4, 3.42 ERA)
Domingo German is a 25-year-old right-hander from the Dominican Republic who got a cup of coffee with the Yankees last season, but has seen an extended role this year. Overall, in his last three games he has gone 0-3 with a 7.31 ERA. Last season, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the Yankees No. 17 prospect, citing that he can reach up to 96 mph with his fastball, but normally sits at 93-95 mph when he starts.
Steven Matz, the Mets left-hander from Long Island, has been splendid for New York most of the year, but even more so in recent starts. A main problem for the southpaw was his inability to shake adversity. However, he has worked with pitching coach Dave Eiland and manager Mickey Callaway to have a shorter memory on the mound and it has paid great dividends. In his last three starts, he has recorded a 1.13 ERA and gone 1-1. This includes a solid outing against the Chicago Cubs his last time out where he yielded two runs, but received no run support and was slapped with the loss.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Luis Severino (9-1, 2.20 ERA) vs. Noah Syndergaard (4-1, 3.06 ERA)
Unfortunately, Luis Severino won’t square off against deGrom for a true battle of the aces, but Sunday is stacking up to be a solid pitcher’s duel regardless. Severino has hands down be the Bronx Bombers’ best starter in 2018, as apparent by his 2.20 ERA and nine wins. At just 24-years-old, Severino possesses a maturity on the mound, with a knack for getting the big pitch. In his last three times out, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Mets hitters beware.
As for Noah Syndergaard, the artist known as Thor will be pitching in his first game back since being sidelined with a strained finger ligament. His last start came on May 25 against the Milwaukee Brewers where he allowed three runs and scattered six hits while striking out eight, taking a no-decision. Overall in his last three starts, he is 2-0 with an even 3.00 ERA.
Health and Medical Check
Mets Injury Updates
Yoenis Cespedes is on the disabled list with a mild strain of his right hip flexor and it is unlikely he is activated for the weekend.
AJ Ramos has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with right rotator cuff tendinitis and is without a definitive timetable for return.
Devin Mesoraco missed the last two games due to left hamstring tightness and it is unknown if he will be back in the lineup against the Yankees on Friday.
Wilmer Flores has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with lower-back soreness and it is unknown if he will be activated prior to Friday’s game against the Yankees.
Noah Syndergaard has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained ligament in his right index finger. Barring any setbacks, he is expected to return to action against the Yankees on Sunday.
Yankees Injury Updates
Luis Cessa is on the 10-day disabled list due to a left oblique strain and is expected to be held out of action until the middle of June.
Jacoby Ellsbury has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list with plantar fascitis and a hip injury. It is undetermined if he will make his season debut by the end of June.
Jordan Montgomery has landed on the 10-day disabled list and is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo Tommy John surgery.
Key Matchups
Giancarlo Stanton vs. Jacob deGrom: 9-22 (.409), 1.450 OPS, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K
Jose Bautista vs. Masahiro Tanaka: 10-39 (.256), .828 OPS,, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 11 K
Didi Gregorius vs. Steven Matz: 3-7 (.429), 1.071 OPS, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1K
Giancarlo Stanton vs, Jeurys Familia: 1-12 (.083), .167 OPS, 0 HR, 0 BB, 8 K
Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Luis Severino: 2-5 (.400), 1.120 OPS, 0 HR, 1 BB, 2 K
Giancarlo Stanton vs. Noah Syndergaard: 0-11 (.000), .083 OPS, 0 HR, 1 BB, 6 K
Jose Bautista vs. Luis Severino: 2-13 (.154), .697 OPS, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K
Did You Know….
The Mets won the very first Subway Series game against the Yankees by a score of 6-0, on June 16, 1997 at Yankee Stadium. Dave Mlicki started the game for the Mets a twirled a complete game shutout, striking out Derek Jeter to end the game. John Olerud had two hits and three RBI to pace the Mets offense against Andy Pettitte who took the loss.
On July 8, 2000, the Mets and Yankees played a split doubleheader with a day game at Shea Stadium and a nightcap at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won both by identical 4-2 scores. The two teams would meet again in the 2000 World Series which the Yankees won four games to one.
On June 27, 2008, Carlos Delgado drove in nine runs in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium and set the franchise record for most RBIs in one game for the Mets. Delgado surpassed Dave Kingman who had held the previous record of eight set in 1976.
Who’s Hot, Who’s Not
Yankees
Gary Sanchez, C – The powerful young catcher enters the series just 4-for-42 with 14 strikeouts over his last 12 games with only one extra base hit in that span.
Didi Gregorius, SS – The young left-handed hitter has only one homer in his last 30 games and has a minuscule .406 OPS in that span. He’s also hitting .153 during that span.
Miguel Andujar, 3B – The 23-year-old has been an extra base hit machine with a .690 SLG% over his last 19 games. In that span he has nine doubles, one triple, four homers and 14 runs batted in.
Luis Severino. RHP – Yankees ace is coming off back-to-back double digit strikeouts games in which he allowed only three runs in 15 innings on eight hits and one walk.
Mets
Entire Offense – Over the last week they have a major league worst 25 wRC+ in 193 plate appearances. That have an embarrassing .205 SLG and .140 AVG on their way to scoring six runs. The only Met with an OPS over .600 in that span is Bautista at .873.
Asdrubal Cabrera – After a hot start to the season the veteran second baseman has cooled off and even more so recently, he’s 2-for-27 in his last seven games.
Entire Mets Rotation – Since May 29, the Mets starting rotation has a league best 1.43 ERA in 44 innings. In that span they’ve held opponents to a .204/.270/.234 slash line and hold a 1.00 WHIP.
Jacob deGrom – The Mets ace has a 0.57 ERA over his last eight starts that spans 47.1 innings. In that time, he has 68 strikeouts and 15 walks while holding hitters to a .506 OPS. He has not allowed more than one run in each of the eight starts, tied for the third longest streak in major league history.
Series Domination
After taking all four games from the Mets last season, the Yankees extended their Subway Series lead to 66-46 all-time. The last time the Mets won the season series was back in 2013 when they went 4-0 as they held the Yankees to only seven runs. Since that season sweep, the Yankees have dominated the series going 12-6 over the last four seasons.
