Currently: The New York Mets are on the verge of pulling off a rarity—winning a season series from the New York Yankees.
The Mets can complete the feat with a victory over the Yankees in the final regular-season meeting between the teams on Sunday.
Since interleague play started in 1997, the Mets (48-32) have won the Subway Series with the Yankees (45-33) only once, going 4-2 against the Bronx-based squad in 2004. A win in this contest would give the NL East leaders a 4-2 record against the Yankees this season, including two wins at Yankee Stadium.
The Mets beat the Yankees 8-3 on Saturday, snapping a season-high four game losing streak. The Mets had managed only eight runs in those losses, but broke out against Randy Johnson.
“You want to stop the bleeding, the avalanche, whatever you want to call it. It’s basically just getting a win,” Mets manager Willie Randolph said. “Our attitude on the bench and in the clubhouse has been pretty consistent. We don’t even feel like we’re struggling. If you came in today, you wouldn’t even know we had lost last night.”
Paul Lo Duca had three hits and two RBIs, David Wright had a two-run double and Ramon Castro had a two-run single against the Big Unit, who allowed all eight runs in six innings.
The RBIs were Wright’s first in six games. He was in a 4-for-25 slump entering the game.
“You have to make sure that four-game losing streak doesn’t become a five— and you don’t get complacent with the lead that we have,” Wright said.
The Mets had lost five of their last six road games before Saturday’s victory. They still lead the NL, though, with a 26-17 road record.
Alex Rodriguez hit a solo homer in eighth inning to close the scoring.
“Teams are doing a good job not letting us get that big inning,” Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi said. “We’ve got the train moving, but we can’t quite get over the top.”
Alay Soler (2-2, 4.68 ERA) looks to get back on track when he starts for the finale for the Mets. The rookie right-hander from Cuba went 2-1 in his first four starts, allowing fewer than three runs in three of those starts, including a two-hitter against the Diamondbacks on June 10.
Since then, he’s been roughed up. In his last start on Tuesday against the Red Sox, Soler allowed eight runs and 10 hots in 4 1-3 innings as the Mets lost 9-4.
“I was behind every hitter,” Soler said. “I was trying to make my pitches to the bottom of the lineup, and the guys I needed to get out I couldn’t.”
The Mets have lost three straight with him on the mound.
Jaret Wright (4-5, 5.18) looks to establish some consistency when he takes the mound for the Yankees. Wright hasn’t won consecutive decisions since May 23-28, and is just 1-2 despite a 4.00 ERA in his last five starts.
Wright is 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in five career appearances—three starts— against the Mets, all when he was in the NL with San Diego and Atlanta in 2003 and 2004.
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