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The Mets and Yankees continue to weigh second-half options
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The Mets and Yankees are one week into the second half of this season. The Mets will have 67 games remaining when they host the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field in Queens this afternoon and the Yankees will have 65 when they play the Kansas City Royals at home in the Bronx tomorrow, the start of a three-game series.
The Mets and Yankees will face each other next Tuesday and Wednesday at Yankee Stadium in their second Subway Series this season. They split two games in June at Citi Field. Thus far, it has been a trying season for both teams who were forecast by most close followers of baseball to be World Series contenders.
But the Mets were 44-50, fourth place in the National League East, 17.5 games behind the division leading Atlanta Braves before playing the White Sox Wednesday. They were eight games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the third NL wild-card spot. The Yankees were 50-46 when they closed out a three-game road series last night against the Los Angeles Angels. They were last in the American League East trailing the first place Tampa Bay Rays by nine games and 2.5 out of the third AL wild-card position.
The Yankees have been treading water since last season’s AL MVP, outfielder Aaron Judge, sprained ligaments in his right big toe running into the right field fence at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on June 3. The team was 15-21 prior to yesterday’s game. Besides Judge’s absence, dubious personnel decisions have been a source of the Yankees mediocrity. Now they will look to add players that can help bolster their laboring everyday lineup and pitching staff, with Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Cody Bellinger prominent on their radar.
They have been unable to find consistent pitching and hitting with the exception of the outstanding season put together by starter Gerrit Col and perhaps infielder Gleyber Torres, with the latter hitting safely in nine straight games going into yesterday’s contest. Cole is 9-2 with a 2.78 ERA and 134 strikeouts. On Tuesday, the Yankees had a season low two hits in a 5-1 loss to the Angels. It was their fifth loss in their previous six games.
Meanwhile, the Mets are most likely going to be sellers at the Major League Baseball deadline of August 1. Closer David Robertson and outfielder Tommy Pham are sure to be on their way to new ball clubs, likely playoff and World Series contenders. The Mets have been under .500 since a 6-4 loss to the Braves dropped them to 30-31. Their hitting has been collectively ineffective and the pitching sub-standard, an unexpected development for a team that was 101-61 last season.
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