The Subway Serious starts again tonight with a little more juice than usual because both teams are playing well. The Yanks want to avoid getting swept and winning two-of-three would be great, of course.
The boys at SNY break it down:
And Cliff has the preview over at PB:
Since starting the season 5-13, the Mets have gone 36-27 (.571), a winning percentage that, over the full season, would put them in first place in the Central and Western divisions of either league and in second-place in either Wild Card race. Prior to running into Justin Verlander Thursday afternoon, the Mets had won six of their last seven, four of those coming against first-place American League teams, and in the four games prior to facing Verlander they scored 52 runs (an average of 13 per game).
So the Mets, despite recent appearances, are no laughing matter. Jose Reyes is having an MVP-quality season. Carlos Beltran has come all the way back, at least at the plate. Angel Pagan has hit .325/.398/.444 since coming off the disabled list in late May. Ronny Paulino has put up similar numbers in wrestling the catching job away from sophomore Josh Thole. Jason Bay has hit .327/.389/.490 over the last two weeks and has become a Russell Martin-like stealth threat on the bases having stolen eight bases in nine attempts this season, including four in as many tries in those last two weeks. As you’ll see below, the three starting pitchers the Yankees will face in this series, Jonathan Niese, Dillon Gee, and R.A. Dickey, have all been pitching well of late.
Never mind the hub-bub:
Let’s Go Yank-ees!
[Photo Credit: Joseph O. Holmes]
Jesus, have we been reassigned to the Senior Circuit when I wasn't looking?
It's like three weeks already!
Yeah, I know, enough already. Welp, three more games and they'se done for the year.
[2] Three games then another historic Subway Series ends, and with it the historic 2011 interleague schedule. It's almost too much history for me to handle!
Okay, historic faux hatred due to ignite in t minues 15 minutes...lasting approximately 3 days.
Hey, at least we get Cone calling the game tonight.
Nice rope, Swish!
Atta way to start the baseball game, boys!
Ooooh, YES!!!
BEAUTIFULLLLL!!!!
TESH!
That's the way to start the game!
God, what a gorgeous hit!
I have no animosity towards the Mets, just seem more sad to me..my cousin said Citi Field was a disgrace, altar to Wilpon's Dodger love.
Great start tonight, keep up the rally A-Rod, no homers!!
Alex just missed a good pitch to hit.
Drive it into left, Robbie!
Bravooooo!!!!
Yaayyyyy!!!!
SLASHER!
God, this makes me happy!
C'mon Bodie, keep it going.
Hey, Hey, whadda ya say!
So far, the hits are all middle to opposite field and the two outs are weakly pulled grounders to third.
Ok, great fucking inning!
Well, that was a right pleasant way to start the series ...
Omg.
He really, really sucks.
It's like I knew he was going to throw the bass away as I saw him circling and then, sure enough, WHOOOOPS!
I anticipated the ball in the dirt, though, not ten feet over Tesh's head.
[22] Yes! I thought exactly the same thing!!
jeez, Nova
[24] It's really sad when you have to hold your breath every time the ball is hit to your shortstop.
Wow! He swung after the ball was in the mitt.
Fucking hell.
Every time with this man.
Robinson Cano.
Jesus.
Cano is beautiful!
Oh, Robbie. Lovely, just lovely.
Man, Cano made a sweet play.
Did you see that footwork?
Speaking of lovely.
That was wonderfully done.
Wow, Nova got down a decent bunt.
I sure didn't expect that outcome after his 1st 2 attempts at it.
Good comeback inning for Niese.
Ball's popping off the bats on both sides.
C'mon Nova, bear down here.
Nova looks like shit. That was a fucking meatball.
[38] 10-8 game on tap
Nice hook...two more...
Nova's got a pretty good curve tonite.
Beautiful! Two curves in a row does the trick.
"That's a whole different guy, right there."
Uh ... ok.
I'll take it!
Cone is awesome. I'm sure he and Leiter have great arguments in the bar after the game.
Hah. Slick work there, Pagan.
If Cano bunts he needs to be fined $100,000 by the team.
Oh, Robbie!
Oh Robbie, that was NOT what we needed there.
Damn it. That sucked.
Just watched that inning on WPIX. Mex Hernandez said A Rod should have run Tejada over. Cohen says, "At least he didn't slap at it." Funny, but Cohen is just a little bitch ass Mets fan who can do nothing but make little jibes.
[51] "..little bitch ass Mets fan.."
Damn, AB you got the redass on tonight!! BOO-Yah! :)
No, that was smart of Rob to take the sure thing.
Shucks, I'm going to miss the rest of the game..Go Go Yankees!!
Nova needs to put up a quick inning here.
Positively JETERIAN!
Found out the Thai place I wanted to order from went out of business. That kind of sucks
C'mon Nova, hold it together.
Trouble is brewin.
Dag, bases juiced. And with two out.
Nova! On a bagel with a schmear!!
Woo-Hoo!
Uncle Charlie we Love you!
61) Good one!
Nice hit, Robbie.
Ole!
Greetings Banterers, Banterees and Monkeypants.
Jeez... aren't major league infielders supposed to get in front of ground balls?
Anyone think Andruw will swing as hard as he can here?
HE'S NO DEREK JETER!!
Alright ... it's CLETUS time!
Robbie has got to score there.
I'd rather see Gritner here.
I take that back. Forgot Robbie was just on second.
Take. The Bat. Off. Your. Shoulder. jorge is stirking out here.
Saw that coming.
That was a winner of an AB
OUTSIDE!!!!
[70] or not ...
Jesus, got to score man.
Keeping the Mets in it.
I guess Robbie WAS on 3rd....
Wait, Robbie was at third. Fucking mo mo.
Throw. Stirkes.
That 2-1 strike was horseshit but glad to see it's called both ways.
If Bay walks, Paulino will hit a game tying homer.
Walk. Just fucking great.
STRIKE, dummy, STRIKES
Okay that's one.
That pitch six feet outside seems ineffective.
Or maybe not
And that's a tough strike, man. Jeez.
Its time to get rid of that dumb bastard Rob Thomson - the boss woulda done it a long time ago
Wow, nice scoop. Play of the game so far.
TESH!
91) Why? Rob was telling him to go. Cano froze on his own there. Thought Reyes caught the ball.
[91] Uh ... what?
Thomson was SCREAMING at Cano to go home ... Cano just had his head up his ass.
Way to go!
Dammit.
Must keep Reyes off the bases.
Good job.
This the the disaster inning waiting to happen.
Bad call. But happiness.
Why on EARTH didn't Cano hustle after that ball?
I saw the whole thing unfolding: "G
Hah. Nice phantom tag, Alex.
Altho A -Wad fucked up
ET THE FUCKING BALL!"
Reyes gets jobbed. He was safe by a mile. Terrible, lazy play by Nunie too.
1 more until D- Rob
Nunez?
Whoever it was, wtf was that lollygagging?
104) Uh, A Rod didn't fuck up. He sold the tag.
Nunez, fucked up. Lazy play by him there. Yanks got lucky.
Get this piece-a shit outta here now
Show it again! Check out how long it took for him to get the baseball!
C'mon Wade. That's terrible. Don't walk the fucking guy.
It's as if he thought Cano would get it or something. THere must be some explanation because that was just crazy.
Like when Knoblauch didn't pick up the ball but argued with the umpire instead.
C'mon Boonie.
114) Oh Gosh, what a memory. LOL
Fucking Vunderbar.
How we have played so well with this BP is a minor miracle.
Meanwhile... somehow... the 'Stros are ahead of the Sox 4-1.
Nice play, Murph!
So Brett is going to bunt here, right?
[116] Hahah! I know, that's how it felt, though! You're thinking, "Why isn't he picking up the ball...pick up the ball, pick up the ball...PICK UP THE FUCKING BASEBALL!"
You know, it all happens in what, a second and a half? But I'm running through all the scenarios in my mind..."Hmmm, the ball must be dead, but why would it be dead? Did someone call time? I didn't see it. Does Nunez think Reyes must be winded or maybe he thinks he tripped?"
Hahahah! It's just really surreal to see stuff like that happen, stuff for which there is zero explanation other than "He just didn't give a shit."
Right.
Ok, let's pick up this run!
121) Yeah, and it's easy for us to say watching on tv. But on the field that shit happens so fast.
So I went to get ice cream and missed all the excitement. Deep fly to center, Reyes tags up, Nunez somehow misses the cutoff and just lets it roll, wanders over to it and throws Reyes out on a phantom tag? Whacky.
Christ, if Parnell hits 100 tonight Kay might have to excuse himself.
[124] God, I guess. Man.
Out. Fucking. Standing.
NOONEY!
Maybe Nunez should be the DH
Yaayyy lazyman who can't throw!!!
Yaayyyyy!!
Derek Who?
[130] HHAHAHA HA AHA HAAHAHAHA!!!
Nice lumber jack wood chop hack there too.
Man, having a catch with Bobby Pernell must suck. One of those guys who just has to throw the ball 100 miles per hour all the time. LOL
BOONEY!
Is that Phil Hughes in the dugout? Did he eat Bartolo Colon?
[134] heehehehhe
[135] Hahah! You're killing me, Alex.
[137] Stop it! You guys are making my chest hurt!
That's some serious Chedder.
Hey RI, your boy's in!
Mattpat11 and I will be here all weekend! Actually, I'm taking the wife to the game tomorrow.
Whatever happened to Nick Johnson, anyway, speaking of Raphael Soriano?
[143] Oooh, good for you guys!
[140] I think he may have put on a pound or two.
Fucking Gardner!
Damn, I thought that was falling for sure.
Wow!
Lovely catch. Jones doesn't make that. No way. Not only does he not run fast enough, being lefty makes all the difference there.
[143] I'm playing stickball tomorrow.
[147] I must be used to Gardner. I saw catch all the way
[149] Kick some ass and take no prisoners!
Sweet.
Stickball! Cool. Tennis balls against a chalked out strike zone? You got fences?
[151] I'll be representing this great country against the EVIL Irish. (We will then join the Irish for a few drinks)
"Sounds" like a great game. My G.D. MLB Premium Package won't load, so I've been listening to the FAN.
[153] I haven't a clue, to be honest. I have to assume yes on both
[150] This is really one tight motherfucking defense, we have ourselves. Swisher of course is a little sketchy but improved from a couple years ago and Derek continues to be perfectly solid. Martin is very good and everyone else is outstanding.
Actually Kay, you ignorant slut, you CAN quantify why Robertson's fastball seems faster than the gun reading.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/tom_verducci/04/12/fastballs.trackman/index.html
And speaking of expecting the ball would fall off the bat only to see it snagged by a guy with the speed of a the Flash and the agility of a Spiderman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RHcGWHuThE
[158] Nice.
[159] Fisted.
The "Hmm." makes it.
[153] [154] You guys ever play halfball?
ALEX!!!
Boy you have to hit it a loooong way, huh?
Did Granderson touch the plate?
Wow, a so-so 1-4 game, with some bad-looking swings, turns into a 2-5 night with a RBI.
[164] I know! It's really amazing, isn't it?
[164] And high. Its stupid.
How pathetic is it to have to give up your number to Sergio Mitre?
This is dragging out a bit too long.
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen. Mariano Rivera.