Jacob deGrom will face the Yankees Friday night. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
NEW YORK — With neither the New York Mets nor the New York Yankees pegged as sure-fire contenders and the six games between the two teams split up into two series four months apart, the 19th edition of the Subway Series between the cross-town rivals was expected to be the least anticipated one yet.
However, with the Mets red hot and the Yankees surging, there will be plenty of buzz accompanying the teams when they open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
The Mets tied a team record Thursday by winning their 11th consecutive game, beating the Atlanta Braves 6-3 at Citi Field. The Yankees, meanwhile, edged the Detroit Tigers 2-1 for their sixth win in seven games.
The Mets are already 4 1/2 games ahead of the Braves in the NL East, while the Yankees moved into a three-way tie for first place in the AL East after Thursday’s action. This will be the first time the Mets and Yankees meet with both teams in first place.
Add into the equation a pair of enticing pitching matchups — Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom will oppose Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda on Friday before Mets right-hander Matt Harvey takes the hill against Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia on Saturday — and baseball is going to challenge hockey and basketball for the back pages and top segments in the local newscasts in New York. The New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Brooklyn Nets will play postseason games this weekend.
“When you’re playing in the greatest sports town in America, there’s a lot of room,” Mets manager Terry Collins aid. “Should be a great weekend. The Yankees are playing great. We’re playing good, It should be a lot of fun.”
It should also give the Mets, who haven’t reached the playoffs since 2006, a taste of what the big stage is like, as well as present them with the challenge of maintaining the focus and patience that has defined the winning streak.
The Mets own the National League’s second-highest on-base percentage (.331) after drawing eight walks off Braves pitchers Thursday.
“Our young guys are in for something they’ve never experienced before,” Collins said. “So they’ve got to learn from it. But that can’t change the way they go about things. That can’t change the way they’re playing the game right now. Still got to do the little things to win. Still got to pitch like what we’re doing right now. Should be a fun weekend.”
