Mets and Yankees stagger into Subway Series
The Yankees and Mets met for the first time this season on Tuesday night at Citi Field as both teams staggered into a 2023 Subway Series. The Yankees lost two out of three to the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx this past weekend and were 3-3 in their previous six games before facing the Mets. They were 39-29 after a 7-6 win over the Mets on Tuesday, eight games out of first place in the American League East behind the 48-22 Tampa Bay Rays and 42-24 Baltimore Orioles.
The Mets were in free-fall, having dropped nine of 10 after starter Max Scherzer gave up seven hits and six earned runs in 3.1 innings on Tuesday. They went into last night’s (Wednesday) game 31-36, fourth in the National League East. Both teams came into the two-game set without their most prominent players.
The Yankees are navigating games without 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge, who was put on the injury list June 6 with a contusion and ligament sprain in his right big toe. “The biggest thing now is trying to get the swelling out of there,” said manager Aaron Boone regarding his ailing star outfielder. Judge still led the Yankees in batting average (.291), home runs (18), RBI (40), and on-base percentage (.404).
The Mets’ All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso is also on the injury list after being hit on the wrist by Atlanta Braves starter Charlie Morton on June 7. He could be out until the All-Star Game break, which begins for the Mets on July 10. Alonso’s loss of production in the Mets’ lineup is a huge blow, considering that he led all of MLB with 22 homers and had 49 RBI when last night’s schedule began.
The Mets problems run much deeper than Alonso, though. Their pitching has been the major issue. In being swept three games by the Braves from June 6 through June 8 in Atlanta, followed by a 14-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 11, the Mets gave up a total of 40 runs. The Braves series marked the first time in franchise history that the Mets lost three games in a row when they led by three or more runs.
After dropping two out of three to the Pirates last weekend, the Mets have lost 11 series already this season, contrasted with losing only 11 all of last season. They will host the St. Louis Cardinals in Queens this weekend for three games, then face the Astros in Houston for three games next Monday through Wednesday.
The Yankees will be in Boston for three games tomorrow through Sunday and then travel to Seattle to take on the Mariners next Tuesday through Thursday.
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