May 12, 2008

Home games: Mets vs. Nationals, then Subway Series

NewYorkology contributor Scott Ross keeps you abreast of upcoming Mets and Yankees home games in New York City. Ross toils in anonymity for a giant online news aggregator. Here's your look at major league baseball in New York City this week:

Coming into this week the Mets have to be happy with being only three games out of first. When one considers Jose Reyes' continuing struggles, Luis Castillo's anemic performance, the fact that only two starting pitchers are making any real contributions, and the abysmal bench (.138/.233/.215), an 18 – 16 record ain't too bad.

And with the Washington Nationals coming to town for four games, the Mets have a chance to make up some ground. But it will be Friday, when the Mets head across town to the Bronx that things will get interesting.

Like the Mets, the Yankees have not quite performed up to expectations. The Bombers have been beset by trouble from all sides. Jorge Posada has gone down with a bum shoulder that prevents him from throwing a baseball. Alex Rodriguez has been wrestling with a hinky hamstring. Robinson Cano is off to a horrendous start. Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have combined to go 0-6 with an 8.67 ERA. But Posada and A-Rod will get healthy, Cano seems to be coming out of his funk hitting .364/.391/.727 over his past seven games and the Yankees can drive to any Home Depot and find two guys who can provide them with better starting pitching.

Game of the Week: The best match-up in the Big Apple this week is undoubtedly Sunday night's showdown between John Maine and Chien-Ming Wang.

Maine seems to have put last season's miserable second half behind him, though his walk rate, 4.5/9 IP, could prove problematic against the Bombers' line-up. Meanwhile CMW continues to win baseball games armed with nothing but a sinker. Since the start of the 2006 season, no pitcher in baseball has won more games. His success is made all the more remarkable in light of the dismal Yankee "defense" he plays behind. And now that he's begun to strike people out, he'll likely continue to keep on winning.

Of course, if you've got some old folks in tow this week, the Mets are playing a rare Thursday day game and afterwards people over 60 are invited to take a leisurely stroll around the bases.

Tickets to Mets games can be purchased here, while directions for getting to and around the stadium are also available. (The New York Water Taxi will not be running the Mets Express to Shea during the 2008 season.)

Washington Nationals at New York Mets
Monday @ 7:10 Perez (0-3) vs Nelson Figueroa (2-2)
Tuesday @ 7:10 Lannan (3-3) vs John Maine (4-2), Kids T-shirt night
Wednesday @ 7:10 Redding (4-3) vs Mike Pelfry (2-3)
Thursday @ 1:10 O'Connor (1-1) vs Johan Santana (4-2), Senior stroll night

New York Mets at New York Yankees
Friday @ 7:05 Oliver Perez (2-3) vs Darrell Rasner (2-0)
Saturday 1:05 Nelson Figueroa (2-2) vs Andy Pettitte (3-3)
Sunday @ 8:05 John Maine (4-2) vs Chien-Ming Wang (6-0)

Next week: The Yankees play host to Orioles and Mariners, while the Metropolitans head off to Atlanta and Colorado.

Image source: NY Transit Museum, Subway Series (with case) Baseball

May 12, 2008 6:26 PM in Sports

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