Mets Look To Continue Run Against Yanks

Curtis Granderson and the Mets defeated the Yankees in The Bronx. Can they do the same in Queens?

The New York Mets crashed into The Bronx this week and took home a two-game sweep of the New York Yankees. Now they’ll look to do the same as this year’s Subway Series switches to Queens for a pair.

First pitch at Citi Field on Wednesday is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Offense was well and truly on display as the Mets visited Yankee Stadium on Monday and Tuesday. Over the two-game set, the two clubs combined for 47 hits, 35 runs, nine home runs and one grand slam. On Tuesday, the two sides combined for seven runs in the first inning, a Subway Series record.

The Mets took Monday’s game 9-7 before earning a 12-7 victory on Tuesday night to complete the short series sweep at Yankee Stadium for the second straight year.

But offense could be harder to come by as the series switches to Citi Field and its expansive parameters.

The Mets (19-19, 9-10 home) will look to record a season-best fourth straight win on Wednesday. They’ll hope to get a similar performance from Curtis Granderson, who starred early in the week.

Playing against his former club for the first time, Granderson went 4-for-8 in the first two games, connecting with a two-run homer on Monday before thumping a three-run bomb on Tuesday. Prior to the series, the Grandy Man had hit just three home runs this season, with two coming on the road. He’ll look to add to his Citi Field tally on Wednesday.

The Yankees (19-19, 10-9 road) meanwhile will be looking to put the halters on a four-game skid that begun against the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend.

Injury has given Joe Girardi a host of headaches, especially in terms of starting pitching. C.C. Sabathia (knee) has joined Michael Pineda (back) on the 15-day DL while Ivan Nova (elbow) is done for the year. Reliever Shawn Kelley (back) is also on the DL while catcher Francisco Cervelli (leg) is on the 60-day DL.

News emerged this week that Carlos Beltran may also need surgery to remove bone spurs from his elbow. Beltran, who is playing the designated hitter role this season, has tallied five home runs and 15 RBIs in 33 games, while batting .234.

But the Yankees still have the offensive power in them to win any game, and Girardi won’t expect anything less of his club when it heads to Queens on Wednesday.

The Mets are 3-2 in interleague play so far this season while the Yankees are 3-4.

On Wednesday night, Rafael Montero (0-0, 0-00 ERA) will make his Mets debut. The 23-year-old right hander has gone 4-1 in eight starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, recording a 3.67 ERA. The Mets will hope that the high profile atmosphere of a Subway Series along with the added pressure of a nationally televised game doesn’t get to the youngster. They’ll also hope the Yankee bats are quiet.

The Yankees will counter with the dominant Masahiro Tanaka (5-0, 2.57 ERA). In his first season in Major League Baseball, the right hander has been almost unstoppable, striking out 58 batters in seven starts – second only to Max Scherzer (60) – and allowing just 14 earned runs. He’s yet to give up more than three runs in a game, and has been the savior on a Yankees’ starting rotation that has been decimated by injury.

The Mets are 15-14 when facing right handed pitching while the Yankees are 9-12.

Masahiro Tanaka has proven to be the Yankees’ ace so far this season.

New York Yankees vs. New York Mets odds for 05/14/2014

Despite a four-game losing streak and having fallen to a sweep in the Yankee Stadium portion of the Subway Series, the Yankees (-172) opened as the moneyline favorite over the Mets (+162).

While the Yankees have historically dominated their National League counterparts, the Mets have now won six straight games in the series. While this might not be enough to indicate the pendulum of power is starting to swing the other way in the Big Apple, it is enough to warrant bettors giving the Mets some serious consideration ahead of this one.

The total opened at 7 and has slipped to 6.5 with some sportsbooks.

The total has gone over in four of the Mets’ last five, and all five of the Yankees’ previous contests, including both games between the sides at Yankee Stadium in what was an offensive onslaught.

However, the over might not be the smart bet when this series switches to Citi Field; six of the last eight meetings between the clubs in Flushing have seen the under pay out.

The Mets will again host the Yankees on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Betting Sports will have more on this game tomorrow.

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