Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets reacts to a pop fly during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins. Getty Images See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on Google The environment Friday at Yankee Stadium should be unlike any we’ve seen all season.
Every Subway Series has a certain level of electricity, regardless of the Yankees‘ or Mets’ records at the time, but this series carries even more gravity with the 25th anniversary of 9/11 as the backdrop.
Add in Aaron Judge’s recent return, Juan Soto coming back to The Bronx for more boos from the fans he spurned to join the crosstown rival and Anthony Volpe potentially playing second base after being called back up to the majors: this game has plenty of storylines.
The Mets may be out of the playoff race, but you can’t tell based on how they’re playing in the second half of the season, particularly down the stretch.
They took two of three from the Rays and swept the Marlins, winning both series on the road, and lead the majors in runs scored and wOBA over a short nine-game span.
The Mets bring their red-hot offense to The Bronx looking to keep things rolling against one of baseball’s best starting rotations.
Carlos Rodon will start for the Yankees, with Nolan McLean set for the Mets.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodón works against a San Diego Padres batter during a baseball game. AP Photo/Gregory Bull Both pitchers have been sensational in their past five starts — Rodon has allowed just five earned runs over that span, while McLean has surrendered four.
The difference is McLean has pitched 31 innings to Rodon’s 22 ⅓ innings; the rookie has been incredibly steady and efficient lately.
McLean should have a slight edge against a Yankees lineup that is still finding its rhythm with Judge back in it.
The Yankees have been better lately, but their lineup still has questions to answer in terms of providing reliable offense on a nightly basis.
The Mets seem to be playing with the freedom of knowing that wins and losses don’t matter, which should make them a bit more loose for this game.
I’ll bet on the Mets taking the series opener.
The Play: Mets Moneyline (+115, BetMGM)
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.
