MLB: Yankees lead against Mets in the Subway Series – In a Mirror, Darkly

On Sunday, the first part of the 2018 Subway Series between the New York Mets and Yankees concluded with a 2-0 victory for the Amazin’s. However, the series went to the Bronx Bombers 2-1. All in all, the three games were a reflection of the previous season. At the end there are bigger question marks on both sides.

The story of the games is quickly told: In the first two games, the Mets took the lead early, but then they ran out of breath, so the Yankees fought back late. On Friday it was Brett Gardner and Giancarlo Stanton with late home runs, on Saturday it was Aaron Judge.

Sunday’s third game, however, went the way the Mets would like every day: Their pitching dominated – Seth Lugo threw six shutout innings and gave only two of a total of three hits. Ex-Yankee Todd Frazier provided the necessary runs with a 2-run shot. The Yankees took their first ever shutdown this season – as the last team in the league.

Mockers may now notice that this is also the only way for the Mets to win these days: A flawless pitching performance to cover up the weakening offense. Altogether they did their best, the starters gave five Earned Runs over 20 innings in the series. By comparison, the Mets only made a total of six runs and the bullpen weakened in the decisive moments.

So it was basically the same as the whole season for the New York Mets: they started strongly, the Mets were still leading the National League East at 17-9 at the end of April. Six defeats in a row followed and the Mets were passed in the division. They now have a run difference of -35 and are one of only six NL teams with a negative value.

It’s not like the Yankees. As this series also showed, their offense usually finds a way. It could be the home runs of the two rookies Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, who both played a decisive role in the victory in game two. The Yankees make the second most runs in the American League and have continued to play at least five games less than the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros who follow in places.

Nevertheless, the Yankees will return to the Bronx with mixed feelings, not only because of the bankruptcy in the final. Gary Sanchez, the catcher, continues to suffer from a widespread loss of form: In Citi Field he was 0-11 with a walk, in June he stands at a manageable 2-29 (.069) and is currently almost an automatic out.

Outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was 1-11 in the series – with a home run late in game one. But even though his numbers were not promising, he had already hit four home runs in June, which he helped the team with at least occasionally.

All this, however, is overshadowed by the injury of Masahiro Tanaka, who is not expected to return before the All-Star break at the earliest. As a result, after Domingo German (0-4, 5.32 ERA, 81 ERA+), the Yankees will first order another rookie pitcher into the team, which will probably not improve the already shaky rotation in the long run.

From the point of view of the Mets Meckern, however, this remains at a very high level. While the Mets (28-34) are threatening to lose out – currently 7.5 games behind the division lead and the second wildcard – the Yankees (42-19) have the best MLB record.

If Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery’s Yankees are the most worried, the Mets now have ten mostly well-known players on the Disabled List – and as of Sunday, Infield’s Asdrubal Cabrera may also have muscular problems.

Only at the weekend came the news that Yoenis Cespedes, currently on rehab assignment, suffered a setback. The Cuban, who is injured at the hip flexor, was replaced in the game of the Binghampton Rumble Ponies (Double-A) after two doubles with new problems at the hip.

“It’s the same thing,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said on Sunday, “It’s where the quadriceps are connected to the hip.” When they will get Cespedes back after this setback is now in the stars.

The same goes for Pitcher Noah Syndergaard, who should have played the Yankees on Sunday. Instead, he remained on the 10-Day Disabled List with a pulled finger. An injury he sustained while swinging the club. And an injury that was originally portrayed as less dramatic. Since 25 May, however, he has been on the DL.

Lugo’s good performance on Sunday gives the Mets hope, however, that their own starting rotation can still keep up. The offensive against this remains a big question mark. And not only because of the many (long-term) injuries.

The Mets makes the work of outfielder Michael Conforto, who only entered jumping training late due to a shoulder operation, particularly thought-provoking. Last year’s shooting star currently only achieves a.694 OPS (97 OPS+) and is 2-28 (.071) in June. According to a media report, the Mets are even considering sending the outfielder to the Minors for straightening.

If you believe the trends to date, which, after more than two months of play, are quite meaningful, the Mets season is gradually approaching its competitive end. The Yankees, on the other hand, are more or less as expected despite the potholes to date – with a realistic chance of winning their own division, something that had not been achieved since 2012.

Now, in the long run, the Yankees primarily lack support in rotation. If not to compensate for the Tanaka failure – which will return – then to replace Montgomery. This year he basically pitched like a number two, at worst like a good number three (119 ERA+). German showed, however, that it cannot be the desired solution.

The Yankee farm system may be generally deep, but even a top starter who is ready now doesn’t seem to offer this. In this respect, an external solution seems likely. But at the moment this is difficult to realize, because too many teams are still within striking distance of the respective wildcards – or at least think they are in the same.

Quite a few well-known US journalists nevertheless suggested an exchange deal between the two New York teams for one of the starters of the Mets – Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom could be considered here. Both are under team control for longer and have high upside. But there were no more trades between the Yankees and Mets. Too much rivalry. Too scared to help the local rival with a deal – or a top prospect that then develops into the next star player in town.

In this respect, at least this scenario seems impossible.

So after part one of the Subway Series 2018 – part two rises in July directly after the All-Star Break – only the statement remains that both teams move away from each other mirror-inverted as usual last. One towards playoffs, the other towards no-man’s-land.

This article was published without previous view by the Major League Baseball.