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TagsBY DAN GRAZIANO
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
The Yankees and the Mets meet Friday night at Yankee Stadium to renew their Subway Series rivalry and, possibly, to commiserate.
Each of New York's major-league teams has had a frustrating week against its most nettlesome rival. The Yankees lost three straight in Boston and are now 0-8 against the Red Sox this year. The Mets blew late leads Wednesday and Thursday and lost a winnable series against the World Series champion Phillies, behind whom they now sit four games back.
For both teams, the middle part of this week was a reminder that, no matter how many good things they may have done so far this year, they still have a ways to go if they want to be playing for the big prize in October.
There is much to be proud of this year for the Yankees. They overcame the loss of Alex Rodriguez to hip surgery for the first month, and they currently own the third-best record in their league. Until they went to Boston, they were in first place. They have come back to win 20 times this year, tied for the most in the majors (with the Phillies), and they had every reason to feel confident going up to Fenway Park.But then, the bottom fell out, and it didn't stop falling until Thursday night, when it landed with a thud. Three Boston runs in the bottom of the eighth turned a CC Sabathia gem into a gut-ripping loss and sent the Yankees home muttering.
The Mets were flying high Tuesday night after a classic victory over the Phillies. On the day the Phillies put struggling championship closer Brad Lidge on the disabled list, the Mets came back to beat the Phillies behind their ace starter, Johan Santana, and their own ace closer, Francisco Rodriguez. Despite injuries to key players Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado and JJ Putz, they were two games behind the World Series champs in the NL East and looking to make a move.
But then, the Phillies came back and beat them Wednesday. And they came back and beat them Thursday. Replacement closer Ryan Madson got the save both nights. The relentless Phillies lineup hit extra-inning home runs both nights. The undermanned Mets got out in front and couldn't hold on, and now they're four games back and feeling the sting of a blown opportunity.
Each team got a nasty lesson this week.
The Yankees, who would have a six-game lead on the Red Sox if they'd just split the eight head-to-head matchups, know they're good. But the Red Sox have left them to wonder if they're championship-good.
The Mets, by staying afloat despite their tsunami of injuries and playing the Phillies to the wire in all three games this week, have proven they're tough. But the Phillies just spent the last two nights reminding them what it's like to be championship-tough.
New York's baseball teams can spend this weekend taking out their frustrations on each other.