Chicago holds a tenuous grip on first place after being swept by Milwaukee over the weekend.

Leading St. Louis by two games and the Brewers by 2.5 in the NL Central, the unsteady Cubs will try to regain their footing in a division that remains very much up for grabs.

When and Where

Game 1: Tuesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Wednesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Thursday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a low of 62F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Wednesday: Fair with a low of 59F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Thursday: Clear with a low near 60F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday: RHP Robert Gsellman (6-6, 5.44 ERA, 6.30 DRA, .317 TAv, -0.8 WARP) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (9-11, 4.32 ERA, 4.36 DRA, .256 TAv, 2.2 WARP)

Gsellman has pitched better since his spat with GM Sandy Alderson, earning his first win since June 10 with a rain-shortened six-inning complete game against the Phillies last Wednesday. The 24-year-old has a 2.76 ERA (5 ER in 16.1 IP) over his last three starts.

Meanwhile, the man known as Q has been somewhat inconsistent since switching Windy City alliances in mid-July, but has strung together two quality starts including six scoreless frames in Pittsburgh the last time out.

Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (5-4, 5.82 ERA, 5.14 DRA, .296 TAv, 0.4 WARP) vs. LHP Jon Lester (10-7, 4.35 ERA, 3.59 DRA, .263 TAv, 3.6 WARP)

Harvey showed signs of improvement in his second start since returning from the disabled list, limiting Cincinnati to two runs in five innings on Thursday and earning the win. “Overall just starting to feel a little more comfortable out there with mechanics and attacking hitters,” the former ace said following that start. “Obviously still not where I want to be but definitely moving in the right direction.”

Lester had his best performance since July last week in Pittsburgh, hurling six innings of one-run ball en route to his second straight win. The four-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.

Thursday: RHP Seth Lugo (6-4, 4.64 ERA, 5.38 DRA, .283 TAv, 0.2 WARP) vs. LHP Mike Montgomery (5-8, 3.64 ERA, 4.62 DRA, .235 TAv, 1.0 WARP)

Lugo blanked the Reds for six innings Friday in one of his most effective starts all season. He will be limited to 75-80 pitches, per manager Terry Collins.

Montgomery has held opponents to a .233 AVG in 20 innings since returning to the rotation on August 23. He faced the Mets at Citi Field in June, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits over five frames.

Who’s Hot?

Mets 1B Dominic Smith (.353 AVG (6-for-17) during five-game hitting streak)

Mets INF Jose Reyes (1.000 OPS in September with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs)

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (6-for-15 with two home runs in Reds series)

Mets INF Asdrubal Cabrera (.600 AVG and 1.558 OPS over the past week)

Mets OF Nori Aoki (At least one hit in all eight games with New York)

Cubs INF/OF Ben Zobrist (.364 AVG (8-for-22) since September 3)

Cubs C Rene Rivera (10-for-32 (.313) with 7 RBIs since joining Chicago)

Who’s Not?

Cubs OF Jon Jay (5-for-26 (.192) this month)

Cubs 3B Kris Bryant (2 hits in his last 19 plate appearances with no RBIs)

Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo (.433 OPS with no extra-base hits in his last 7 games)

When We Last Met

The Mets took two of three at Citi Field in mid-June, winning the opener 6-1 behind Jacob deGrom’s complete game. Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda both homered late in the finale to overcome a poor start by Harvey and secure a series victory which moved New York within four games of .500.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (right hamstring strain) played catch on Sunday and is expected to return soon. C Willson Contreras (right hamstring strain) returned on Sunday after missing a month, appearing as a pinch-hitter late in the game.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) saw his simulated game on Sunday cancelled due to soreness. He is now scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday in Chicago.

There’s Always Next Year!

The Mets announced their 2018 schedule on Tuesday, which kicks off on March 29 at Citi Field against St. Louis. Highlights include a three-game home set against the crosstown rival Yankees from June 8-10 and several interleague series with the other AL East clubs. New York will close the regular season at home against Miami.

Notable Quotables

“I’m just trying to get to the point where I’ve been when I’m healthy, 100%.” – Jeurys Familia after taking the loss on Sunday afternoon (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB)

“Just didn’t have the same command, really, more than anything else. Velocity was OK until the last few hitters and then you could tell he was getting fatigued but again, we’re in a stage of trying to find out some things and we found out that he’s not ready to go back-to-back.” – Collins on Familia’s shaky outing

“He really competes. He did it the first day he was in the big leagues. He started the game and got off to a rough start and you looked up and he got you six good innings, so he’s as good a competitor as I’ve been around and any time he goes out there I know if he gets in trouble he knows how to battle through it.” – Collins on deGrom, who allowed two runs over six innings, striking out 10

“They got us zero runs and one run in two of three games. In one game we had no chance but definitely had chances in the others. We pitched really well and again, you have to pitch better than good pitching to win and they did it… I thought we pitched well. We’re just unable to string together any kind of hits and our power’s been negated a bit… You look around baseball and it happens to every team at some point. It’s contagious to hit as well as it’s contagious to not hit and you just got to keep working your way through it. It’s going to come back to us. We’re going to start hitting again.” – Cubs manager Joe Maddon after getting swept by the Brewers

Photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki – USA Today Sports

Less than 48 hours after watching two more well-liked teammates in Curtis Granderson and Rene Rivera set sail for playoff contenders, mental lapses and sloppy defensive play cost the Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Tensions boiled over a bit when rookie shortstop Amed Rosario failed to rush a throw on a Dee Gordon grounder, allowing the noted speedster to reach first on what should have been an out. Jacob deGrom instantly threw up his arms in disapproval, a rare outburst from the usually composed ace.

Torey Lovullo’s club arrives holding the NL’s second Wild Card spot despite just being swept in Minnesota, losing Sunday’s finale to former Mets favorite Bartolo Colon.

When and Where

Game 1: Monday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Tuesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Wednesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 4: Thursday @ 12:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Monday: Party cloudy with a possible stray shower or thunderstorm and a low of 74F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Tuesday: Scattered thunderstorms with a low around 75F; Winds between 10-20 mph; Chance of rain 50%

Wednesday: Partly cloudy with a low of 66F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Thursday: Sunny with a high of 82F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday: RHP Taijuan Walker (6-7, 3.83 ERA, 4.19 DRA, .261 TAv, 1.8 WARP) vs. RHP Robert Gsellman (5-5, 5.98 ERA, 6.40 DRA, .325 TAv, -0.7 WARP)

Walker has struggled recently, lasting just five innings in each of his last two starts and allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and 5 walks over that span. The former first-rounder has not picked up a win since June 21 and Arizona has lost his last seven outings.

Gsellman drew the ire of Sandy Alderson in the days leading up to his start against the Yankees last week after commenting “I don’t really care” in response to the GM’s suggestion that Gsellman needed to pitch better at Triple-A. The long-maned rookie worked 5.1 innings in a Mets loss, charged with three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks.

Tuesday: LHP Patrick Corbin (10-11, 4.25 ERA, 5.31 DRA, .289 TAv, 0.5 WARP) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-7, 6.08 ERA, 6.04 DRA, .303 TAv, -0.3 WARP)

Corbin has won two straight, defeating the Cubs and Astros behind 15.1 scoreless frames. The upstate New York native struck out 15 against the playoff-caliber clubs, holding them to a .164 batting average.

The host’s southpaw in Tuesday’s matchup has not fared nearly as well. Matz was rocked by that other New York team on Thursday, allowing seven runs (six earned) in just 3.1 innings en route to losing his sixth straight decision.

Wednesday: RHP Zack Godley (5-6, 3.13 ERA, 2.91 DRA, .222 TAv, 3.4 WARP) vs. RHP Chris Flexen (2-2, 6.55 ERA, 9.11 DRA, .349 TAv, -0.9 WARP)

Godley took the loss at Target Field on Friday, charged with four runs in 5.1 innings including two homers despite striking out 10.

Flexen’s performances have been somewhat underwhelming thus far, yet he’s managed to keep his team in the game in each of his past three starts. The 23-year-old did not factor in the decision against Miami on Friday, pitching 5.1 innings of three-run ball.

Thursday: LHP Robbie Ray (9-5, 3.11 ERA, 3.95 DRA, .240 TAv, 2.2 WARP) vs. RHP Rafael Montero (2-8, 5.47 ERA, 5.50 DRA, .303 TAv, 0.0 WARP)

Ray has not pitched in a major league game since July 28, when he was pulled in the second inning after being struck in the head by a 108 mph line drive in St. Louis. The first-time All-Star suffered a concussion but appears ready to return after striking out 11 batters over 4.2 innings in a rehab assignment on Thursday night.

Thought to have possibly worn out his welcome for the last time just a few short weeks ago, Montero has strung together two quality outings and shown flashes of the promising potential that the Mets have been trying to harness for the past four seasons. Still only 26 years old, the slim Dominican held Miami to one run over six innings for his first win since June 25.

Who’s Hot?

Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt (1.093 OPS with 7 HR and 17 RBIs this month)

Diamondbacks OF David Peralta (4-for-13 with a home run this weekend)

Diamondbacks 2B Brandon Drury (3 doubles and a homer in his last two games)

Mets SS Amed Rosario (4-for-12 in Miami series)

Mets IF Asdrubal Cabrera (.313 AVG (5-for-16) since Wednesday)

Who’s Not?

Diamondbacks IF/OF Daniel Descalso (.179 AVG (5-for-28) since August 11)

Diamondbacks C Chris Iannetta (3 hits in his last 21 at-bats)

Diamondbacks OF Gregor Blanco (.248 OPS with 12 strikeouts in 34 plate appearances this month)

Mets 1B Dominic Smith (.510 OPS in ten games played)

When We Last Met

Arizona swept three games at Chase Field in mid-May, capped off by Chris Herrmann’s walkoff homer against Montero to lead off the 11th inning in the series finale.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Diamondbacks: SS Nick Ahmed (fractured right hand) began a rehab assignment with the AZL D-backs on Saturday. He was 0-for-2 with a walk and scored a run.

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury in right shoulder) will start for Double-A Binghamton on Monday in his second rehab outing after appearing in two games with the Brooklyn Cyclones last week. RHP Jeurys Familia (blood clot in right arm) continues his rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie and will need to reach a point where he can comfortably throw 30 pitches in an inning, per manager Terry Collins.

Notable Quotables

“We should have made some plays that cost us a couple runs and we made it a game at the end and that’s one of the things, I think, that shows you these guys are not just throwing in the towel. They’re playing all nine.” – Collins after Sunday’s loss

“Dee Gordon’s faster than a lot of guys in baseball… He learned a lesson. I’m sure it won’t happen again. You don’t double-pump when he’s running down to first base for sure.” – Collins on Sunday when asked about Rosario’s blunder

“When Rosario didn’t make that play I put my hands up. I probably shouldn’t have done that… That’s my bad. I can’t show emotion out there like that, especially when it has to do with your other players when they’re out there trying to play defense behind you so that one’s on me.” – deGrom discussing his reaction to the play

Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA Today Sports

The Mets went into last night’s Subway Series finale hoping to avoid only the second series sweep on the losing side in more than twenty years of the midsummer meet-ups. Better late than never: while it was still not to be, for eight innings the Mets seemed less in a rebuilding phase than in a contractually-obligated-to-appear phase, some late inning heroics — specifically, a ninth inning grand slam by Curtis Granderson — made the final score closer than the game ever really was.

Things got off to a bad start when Mets starter Steven Matz took 40 pitches to get through the first inning. The first batter of the game, Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, tapped a comebacker to Matz, who promptly threw the ball over Dominic Smith’s head into right field.

Matz, who had fallen behind Gardner 3-0, then fell behind the next batter, Aaron Hicks, 3-0, before eventually walking him, bringing Aaron Judge to the plate with two men on and no one out, just like they must have drawn things up in the pregame meeting. Matz got an overeager Judge to strike out on a check swing, but Gary Sanchez picked up his teammate with a three-run home run to left field, putting the Mets behind three or more runs in the first inning for the 16th time this year. Matz then walked Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius. Todd Frazier popped out to Dom Smith, and Tyler Austin singled, prolonging the agony. Ronald Torreyes then struck out.

Yankees ace Luis Severino coughed up a one-out double to Astrubal Cabrera in the bottom of the first, but Severino recovered to strike out Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes to end the threat.

Matz straightened things out for a spell from the second, getting three quick outs in the second and stranding a runner in the third while striking Frazier out looking.

Severino, for his part, cruised through the first two-thirds of the second before Travis d’Arnaud deposited a two-out single to center. Matt Reynolds, recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, then worked to a 3-2 count before striking out.

The teams traded zeros through to the fourth, when Austin and Torreyes singled back to back to lead off the top of the frame. Severino popped a sacrifice in the air towards  Smith, who lunged and could not reach it, awarding Severino with an ugly first major league hit. That brought Gardner to the plate with no one out. Gardner promptly laced a two-run double to the left field corner. After an Aaron Hicks groundout, Matz faced Judge, who he had struck out twice. After getting two strikes on the gargantuan outfielder, Matz glanced a fastball off Judge’s elbow protector, re-loading the bases.

After 76 mostly ineffectual pitches and with Gary Sanchez returning to the plate, Terry Collins had seen enough, yanking Matz in favor of Chasen Bradford. Sanchez turned Bradford’s first pitch with a two-run single. Bradford then coaxed a double play out of Didi Gregorius.

Bradford continued his admirable mop up duty through the sixth inning, his third consecutive day of work. Hansel Robles, a fireman straight out of the pages of a Ray Bradbury novel, took over in the top of the seventh inning and managed to hold the Yankees to seven runs through two innings of work.

Severino was dominant for this 10th win of the season, surrendering no earned runs with nine strikeouts over six and a third innings.

Despite his brilliance, Severino’s young defense started to betray him in his last inning. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Aaron Judge misplayed a d’Arnaud fly ball into a two-base error. d’Arnaud then moved to third on a passed ball by Sanchez, and scored on an RBI bloop single by Matt Reynolds. Brandon Nimmo, a late defensive replacement then hit a single in his first at bat, and. after 106 pitches Severino’s night was over. He was replaced by left-handed reliever Chasen Shreve, who promptly struck out Curtis Granderson, but walked Cabrera, loading the bases for Conforto. Conforto would strike out.

Recent acquisition AJ Ramos pitched the top of the ninth, retiring the Yankees in order.

In the bottom of the frame, Bryan Mitchell came out of the pen for the Yankees, and d’Arnaud greeted him with a leadoff double. Reynolds then knocked a single the other way, putting runners on the corners with no one out. Mitchell struggled to throw strikes to Nimmo, who drew a walk to load the bases for Granderson. Granderson took the first pitch out for a grand slam, closing the score to 7-5, and prompting Yankees manager Joe Girardi to summon Dellin Betances from the bullpen. Betances retired Cabrera, Conforto, and pinch hitter Juan Lagares to slam the lid. The four-run rally in the ninth was impressive, but the hole they’d dug earlier in the game was just too deep.

Tonight the Marlins come to town; Nicolino (1-1) faces Flexen (2-1); first pitch will be at 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

There are usually two paths if the Mets aren’t able to score early, the first featuring a half-decent start and strong relief pitching with the second consisting of a brutal beatdown by the opposition in all aspects of the game.

Monday’s Subway Series opener at Yankee Stadium followed the first pathway, as Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes hit solo home runs off former Met Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Cessa, who went to the Tigers with Michael Fulmer in the deal that brought Cespedes to Flushing in 2015, pitched well and threw hard in his 4.1 innings before leaving with what appeared to be an arm injury.

Somewhat stunningly so, Rafael Montero also pitched well, only allowing two runs in six impressive innings. Spotted the early lead, Montero was on the verge of total collapse in the fourth when he loaded the bases with one out, but he coaxed a sacrifice fly from Gary Sanchez and got Chase Headley to fly out to escape more damage.

He wasn’t out of the woods, though, as Aaron Judge greeted him with his 36th homer of the season in the sixth to the tie the game at 2. Montero was able to get the next three batters out to finish off one of his best starts as a Met. The key for him has always been to keep his cool when in bad situations, and not being able to do just that has resulted in his rough season. Monday was a solid step forward, even though he coughed up the lead.

After Hansel Robles managed to barely eke through his usual high-wire act of a seventh inning, he was left in to start the eighth by Terry Collins, which predictably blew up right in TC’s face, to the surprise of no one. He grooved a pitch to Aaron Hicks, who promptly deposited it in the right field seats to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Did Hansel point skyward as Hicks’ homer soared far over the fence? Why yes, yes he did.

Two batters later, Erik Goeddel gave up a bomb to Sanchez to officially put a cap on this one. Dominic Smith reached base with an infield single in the 9th against Dellin Betances to bring up Amed Rosario as the tying run. He struck out on three pitches.

Will the offense reveal itself?

Not really a banner night for the Mets’ hitters. The Granderson and Cespedes home runs were the road team’s only extra base hits of the night, as the rest of the lineup scattered four hits and three walks. Granted, the lineup without Neil Walker, Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda is a little lacking but the Mets who were in the lineup on Monday didn’t put up much of a fight.

The main issue was that guys just kept swinging right through the hard fastballs of Cessa, Chad Green and Betances and over the curveballs of David Robertson. Rosario continues to struggle with the strike zone and with Smith still getting acclimated to big-league pitching, the Mets just don’t have a very deep lineup right now. The rare good news is that Green through 45 pitches and might not be available for the next few days.

A silver lining, kind of

After his loss against the Rangers last week, Terry Collins had this to say about Montero: “We don’t have a lot of options right now. And if we can’t come up with an option, he’s going to go back out.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Montero at least earned another start with his performance in the Bronx, but that’s probably more due to the current state of the Mets’ pitching staff than Montero himself. Still, though, his talent is undeniable. The 95+ mph fastball and sharp slider (at times) definitely plays in the majors, especially because his heater — when on — seems to have deceptive movement on it that puzzles hitters. His issue is keeping positive momentum going, which means how he pitches this weekend against the Marlins will tell us if Monday was a fluke or legitimate progress.

Patience, young Jedi

Through 13 games (for Rosario) and four games (for Smith), the Mets’ rookies haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire. Amed’s problem is obviously his preponderance of strikeouts and, conversely, his lack of walks. In 44 plate appearances, the Mets’ top prospect has struck out 12 times and walked none. Obviously, that won’t keep up and it’s silly to make any legitimate determinations based off such a small sample size. It’s simply worth nothing.

For Smith, with even less plate appearances — just 14 — what’s apparent is that he has a very good command of the strike zone. Whether it’s laying off balls or just fouling back tough pitches, he has an approach that goes well beyond his 22 years. He basically hasn’t hit anything hard in the air yet and most of his contact has been up the middle and on the ground. Like Rosario was in his first two series in Denver and at home against the Dodgers, Smith is still getting his feet under him. Put the pitchforks down.

Looking ahead

Tuesday brings one of the better pitching matchups the Mets have been a part of this season, as Jacob deGrom returns to the site of his MLB debut to face off against new Yankee Sonny Gray. Could be a lot of strikeouts on both sides.

Photo credit: Adam Hunger – USA Today Sports

When the schedule was released over the winter, many looked at this week as a potential showcase for the rebuilding Yankees (61-55) and their young stars and another important series for the Mets as they make a run towards their third straight postseason.

Instead we’re looking at the polar opposite in a four-game set that will be split between the two boroughs, with the Yankees holding the league’s top Wild Card spot and sitting 5.5 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. The Mets, meanwhile, have all but conceded their season by trading away a number of key veterans and promoting highly-touted prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith to play on a regular basis.

After taking three of four in Philadelphia and winning their first series in just over three weeks, all eyes will be on the Mets’ infield neophytes as they get their first taste of the annual Big Apple showdown.

Fresh off a crushing extra-innings defeat to the Red Sox on Sunday night, the Yankees will look to gain some ground in their division before visiting Fenway Park for a crucial series this upcoming weekend.

The Yankees have a 62-46 record against the Mets in regular season play.

When and Where

Game 1: Monday @ 7:05 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium (TV: SNY, ESPN, YES; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Tuesday @ 7:05 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium (TV: SNY, WPIX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Wednesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST at Citi Field (TV: SNY, ESPN, YES; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 4: Thursday @ 7:10 p.m. EST at Citi Field (TV: WPIX, YES, MLBN (out of market only); RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Monday: Cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a low around 70F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a low around 70F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Wednesday: Party cloudy with a low of 68F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Thursday: Cloudy with a low of 72F; Winds between 10-15 mph; Periods of rain after midnight

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday: RHP Rafael Montero (1-8, 6.06 ERA, 5.90 DRA, .313 TAv, -0.3 WARP) vs. RHP Luis Cessa (0-3, 4.83 ERA, 5.59 DRA, .272 TAv, -0.1 WARP)

In the least appealing matchup of the quartet, Montero will look to rebound after dropping his fourth straight decision behind three innings of four-run ball on Wednesday against Texas. The 26-year-old lost his big league debut against the Yankees back in May 2014 at Citi Field, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings, which included solo homers by Yangervis Solarte and Mark Teixeira.

Cessa returns to the rotation after CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka were both placed on the DL over the weekend. The Mets traded Cessa to Detroit on deadline day in 2015, along with All-Star hurler Michael Fulmer, for slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Cessa did not last more than five innings in each of his previous four starts this season.

Tuesday: RHP Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21 ERA, 2.85 DRA, .234 TAv, 4.6 WARP) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA, 3.06 DRA, .230 TAv, 3.0 WARP)

If you had to pick one game to watch this week, Tuesday night’s tilt would be the obvious choice, as each team sends a marquee right-hander to the hill. deGrom snapped a brief two-game skid on Thursday, shutting out the lowly Phillies over 6.2 innings while striking out nine. He left early after being struck in the right arm by a line drive, suffering a significant bruise. X-rays were negative.

The shaggy-haired ace lost his only appearance at Yankee Stadium, surrendering three long balls over five frames. He is 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against the Bombers.

Gray has lost both starts since being acquired from Oakland two weeks ago, despite pitching fairly well in each. The former first-round pick was the victim of shoddy defense in his debut outing with New York, and has also shown some wildness by walking 7 in 12 innings. The Vanderbilt alum has never faced the Mets.

Wednesday: LHP Jaime Garcia (5-8, 4.50 ERA, 4.97 DRA, .261 TAv, 0.9 WARP) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (5-3, 4.85 ERA, 6.39 DRA, .291 TAv, -0.6 WARP)

Another recent acquisition, Garcia has a 6.97 ERA (8 ER in 10.1 IP) in two outings with the Yankees. The veteran southpaw has struck out 10 batters over that span, however. Garcia is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in two career starts vs. the Mets.

Lugo has struggled of late, allowing 13 runs on 20 hits and 6 walks in 16 innings across his last three outings, despite fanning 18. Opponents have a .910 OPS against the sophomore starter during that span.

Thursday: RHP Luis Severino (9-5, 3.32 ERA, 2.98 DRA, .224 TAv, 4.2 WARP) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA, 6.15 DRA, .292 TAv, -0.4 WARP)

Severino follows up the worst outing of his young career, charged with 10 runs (8 earned) over 4.1 innings against Boston on Saturday – highlighted by two homers off the bat of rookie Andrew Benintendi. Prior to that blip on the radar, the Yankees had won six straight outings by the 23-year-old, a dominating stretch over which Severino struck out 48 in 39.2 innings and held opponents to a .186 AVG, resulting in a minuscule 1.36 ERA.

Matz pitched better his last time out, allowing two runs over 5.2 innings in Philadelphia. It wasn’t enough to snap his losing streak, though, now at a career high-tying five straight.

Who’s Hot?

Mets IF Wilmer Flores (1.067 OPS in 15 plate appearances at Citizens Bank Park)

Mets OF Curtis Granderson (5-for-15 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs since Thursday)

Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes (.357 AVG and 1.214 OPS over his last three games)

Mets OF Michael Conforto (3 home runs in Philadelphia)

Yankees C Gary Sanchez (7-for-19 (.368) with 2 home runs during five-game hitting streak)

Yankees 3B/1B Chase Headley (.310 AVG (9-for-29) since August 4)

Who’s Not?

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (1-for-12 in August)

Mets C Travis d’Arnaud (3 hits in his last 25 at-bats (.120 AVG))

Yankees RF Aaron Judge (.596 OPS with 20 strikeouts in 38 at-bats this month, and at least one strikeout in 30 straight games)

Yankees OF Brett Gardner (8-for-48 (.167) in August with 1 extra-base hit)

Yankees 3B Todd Frazier (1 hit in 12 plate appearances vs. Boston)

When We Last Met

The crosstown rivals split four a year ago, with the Mets losing the first and taking the second game in each ballpark. The victory in Queens came on the strength of seven shutout frames by deGrom, while Bartolo Colon earned the win at Yankee Stadium with 6.2 innings of one-run ball – a game in which Jeurys Familia notched his league-leading 38th save on August 4.

The Yankees were 54-54 at the end of the series and sat in fourth place, 7.5 games off the pace in the AL East. The Mets were 56-52, good for third place and an eight-game deficit in the NL East at the time.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury in right shoulder) made his first rehab appearance on Saturday for Class-A Brooklyn at Hudson Valley, allowing a run on one hit and one walk in just one inning. Harvey threw 18 pitches, 7 for strikes, and topped out at 93 mph on the radar gun.

Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (right ankle surgery) and 2B Starlin Castro (right hamstring strain) are both expected to begin rehab assignments later this week.

Notable Quotables

“Two years ago, we thought he could hit 30 home runs. We saw the power. What you’re seeing this year is he’s so consistent, the swing is so consistent that it’s starting to show. You’re going to look at a guy who’s got a chance to hit 30 homers and wasn’t even in the lineup in April, and that speaks volumes.” – Mets manager Terry Collins discussing Michael Conforto’s big weekend in Philadelphia

“There’s really no substitute for getting all your at-bats, being out there every day. That does a lot for a player to just feel comfortable in the box every day.” – Conforto following Sunday’s 6-2 victory

“I think you can throw out the records in that series… It’s an exciting time. It’s exciting for the city and we’re anxious to get going.” – Collins on facing the Yankees

“They’ve had their injury problems as well, especially to that rotation where they’ve lost a number of guys that have been out for a while. The back end of their bullpen has had injuries and other issues so sometimes you can draw it up on paper but you’ve got to keep your guys healthy.” – Yankees manager Joe Girardi on the Mets struggles after being expected to contend this season

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz – USA Today Sports

The Mets!

WHAT HAPPENED, SUNDAY WHO:

Going into yesterday, the Mets had a six-game Sunday losing streak, made worse by a -69 run differential. Despite a first inning two-run homer by Michael Conforto, the Mets initially looked like they would continue this trend. The bottom half of the first featured a bases-loaded, no-out spot for Chris Flexen to face new Philadelphia Phillie Rhys Hoskins. But, just like we all predicted, Flexen was able to work out of the jam. He induced a groundout and two fly outs, surrendering just one run in the process.

This pretty much set the tone for Flexen’s outing. Guys on, work out of the jam. In fact, it wasn’t his only bases loaded, no-out scenario to start an inning. In the fifth, Freddy Galvis, Odubel Herrera, and Rhys Hoskins reached base with Nick Williams coming to the plate. Unlike the first inning, the process to get to out number three was quite unconventional. Flexen was able to work out of the tough spot an odd Odubel Herrera TOOTBLAN, in which he apparently though Galvis would tried for the plate on a shallow fly ball to Conforto in center. Surely an unconventional double play, but a double play nonetheless. So, with runners at the corners and two outs, Flexen was poised (again) to skirt major trouble.

Maybe Flexen’s subconscious felt that he deserved more runs than his ledger possessed, but the second pitch to the very next batter was a curveball that scooted away from Travis d’Arnaud and brought home Galvis for the second Philly run of the game. Though Flexen was able to get the batter, Maikel Franco, to groundout and end the inning, his day would be done. All-in-all a weird day. Flexen wasn’t great, but he was able to work out of trouble all day long and keep the Phillies off the board. Basically, Chris Flexen wanted to offer his best Rafael Montero impression before the man, the myth, the legend takes the mound against the Yankees tonight.

This is about where the Phillies offense ended on Sunday, as well, as the Mets bullpen nearly worked four perfect frames. The only man to budge, Jerry Blevins, gave up a leadoff double to Cesar Hernandez and walked Rhys Hoskins in the seventh inning. Chasen Bradford, Paul Sewald, and A.J. Ramos put up 1-2-3 innings, which is always nice to see.

WHAT HAPPENED, THE GRANDY MAN CAN:

If Curtis Granderson is trying to play himself into a playoff race, this would be the way do it. The 36-year old lefty was 3-5 with a double and a homerun. The Mets have hinted that they are still interested in trading some of their players, so it will be interesting to see if this performance will spark a Grandy hot-streak. Even if it does, the more interesting aspect might be whether he will get moved.

Maybe he has a fit with the Washington Nationals due to the Bryce Harper injury. maybe the renewed AL Wild Card race creates a potential landing spot.

Also, I mentioned it earlier, but Michael Conforto hit a dinger. Michael Conforto is good. There is plenty of ways to say it and ways to show it, but the best way is just to call a spade a spade. You don’t need to see his nearly-.968 OPS. You don’t need to see the highlight-reel throws. You don’t need to see the abundant power (though it’s hard to miss). Nope, all you need to know is these tried-and-true words: Michael Conforto is good.

WHAT HAPPENED, YESTERDAY:

The Mets broke a long Sunday losing streak, though at times it got sketchy. Chris Flexen allowed just two runs in five innings, but the outcome was certainly not indicative of the process. The bullpen looked great, Conforto and Grandy homered, and the Mets took three of four from the Phillies. But, as the kids say, It Is Always Sunnier In Philadelphia.

WHAT HAPPENS, TODAY:

The Subway Series gets underway as the Mets look to play spoiler against their American League counterpart, keeping their two-game losing streak alive. Rafael Montero squares off against Luis Cessa, which is truly a slate for the ages.

Photo credit: Eric Hartline – USA Today Sports

The Mets could easily make more deals. Asdrubal Cabrera isn’t hitting as well this year, but he’s still on pace to be more than a two win player. Curtis Granderson’s on base percentage has recovered enough after his awful start, so a few contenders may look at him as a fourth outfielder. There are enough potential contenders in the AL Wild Card and NL Central that a team may be willing to give up a little something to get one of these Mets. We don’t know who the Brewers gave up to get Walker, but the second baseman has been less valuable than either Cabrera or Granderson so far this season. I know, that’s surprising. It’s mainly an indictment of Walker’s health.

Once teams clear “inventory,” they tend to play their younger players. It’s important to emphasize the word tend in that sentence, because we’re talking about the Mets under Terry Collins. First baseman Dominic Smith has started two games for the Mets, and he’s been pulled both times. On Saturday, Smith came up as the tying run with one out in the top of the ninth inning. Lefty sidearmer Hoby Milner was in for the Phillies. Smith’s best tool is his ability to hit for contact. Why not give him a chance against a lefty specialist? After all, don’t the Mets want to eventually rely on Smith every day? Collins clearly wasn’t interested in this long term planning and he instead went to Wilmer Flores. Philly countered with right-hander Luis Garcia for two easy outs to end the game.

I cant help but compare Collins’ managing to the Phillies game plan. Rookie callup Rhys Hoskins is batting cleanup. It doesn’t matter that the Sacramento State alum was never tabbed as a top prospect or that he’s still hitless. Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin is acting like Hoskins is the best prospect of the ones who have been called up so far, so he’s going to keep getting his at-bats, even though they are playing him out of position. It may not be the best strategy to win games, but that’s not the point. The Phillies know they aren’t making the playoffs. They accept that losing and getting a better draft slot is in their long-term interest. They also know the more they play Hoskins now, the more they can figure out how much he belongs in their long term plans.

What is the Mets’ overall plan? Clearly the team isn’t building for the short term. They have made four trades and Alderson is still openly talking about how he has inventory left. None of the Mets’ trades have been particularly forward thinking. The team didn’t get exciting prospects back for Lucas Duda, Jay Bruce, or Addison Reed. They did, however, get a short-term reduction in payroll. Collins manages for short-term wins, even if it impedes player development.

When teams are bad, one of the biggest things that fans want to see is a coherent plan for how to get better. Plans don’t always work. We know that. We also know plans are more likely to work when everyone, from ownership on down, is on the same page. The Mets act like they don’t know whether they are coming or going. It’s hard not to wonder about ownership. Have the Wilpons given Alderson and Collins instructions about the direction of the team? Does Collins think he has to squeeze every win out of a lost season to keep his job? Would the Wilpons actually reward this kind of short-term strategy?

Sadly, anyone who has followed this team long enough knows the answer to that question. I’m probably more excited about the Walker deal than any other Mets trade because the club officially announced they were sending some cash as part of the deal. Maybe there’s a bit of long-term planning and hope here after all? After a day like yesterday, I’m all for squinting as much as possible to see a glass that could be half full when I think about baseball.

Photo credit: Derik Hamilton – USA Today Sports

In a matchup between two teams playing for the future, the lopsided outcome was not in doubt as the Mets put up three runs in the first and never looked back.

In a season that has offered both Mets pitchers and fans unending pain, an otherwise dominant night was marred with the sight of Jacob deGrom — the last pitching stud standing — exiting the game in the seventh after a comebacker ricocheted off his pitching arm.

The less-than-Amazins tormented Phillies starter Vince Velasquez in the first. After yielding a two-out double to Yoenis Cespedes and walking Michael Conforto, Velasquez coughed up a three-run home run to Wilmer Flores, and the Mets spotted deGrom a 3-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. Velasquez would not return in the second, suffering from numbness in his pitching hand. Mark Leiter would replace him for five innings, surrendering only one run, a Neil Walker home run in the third.

deGrom couldn’t ask for a better setup for his 50th career road start. He was 9-0 against Philadelphia heading into tonight’s game, and wasted no time picking up where he left off, striking out the first two batters he faced. Cruising with a shutout in the seventh, on his 100th pitch, a comebacker off the bat of Nick Williams hit him right above the right elbow. Erik Goeddel came in in relief and stranded Phillies on the corners. deGrom escaped the scrape with little more than a triceps bruise, although given the Mets medical staff’s recent history misdiagnosing pitchers’ health, one could forgive Mets fans’ skepticism.)

Phillies outfield prospect Rhys Hoskins made his major league debut, going hitless with a walk.

deGrom wasn’t the only possible casualty of the night. With Las Vegas teammate Dominic Smith set to debut tomorrow, Amed Rosario got nailed in his hand with a high and tight fastball in the fourth, but stayed in the game and didn’t seem the worse for wear.

Conforto launched a three-run home run home run that dinged off the left field foul pole for a three run home run in the top of the seventh, and in the top of the ninth, Curtis Granderson followed a walk by pinch-hitting Brandon Nimmo with a two-run homer to right, putting the Mets up 9-0. The Mets then loaded the bases, but only eked out one more run to make the score 10-0, matching deGrom’s win-loss record against Philadelphia.

Mets fans can only hope that the linchpins of the 2018 campaign savor the victory and need no more than ice for their wounds.

Tonight, Dominic Smith Day, Seth Lugo (5-3, 4.55 ERA) takes on Nick Pivetta (4-7, 5.89 ERA) at 7:05 p.m.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

WHEN AND WHERE

Game 1: Tuesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)
Game 2: Wednesday @ 12:10 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

BASEBALL WEATHER

Tuesday: Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. High around 80F with a low around 64F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 MPH.
Wednesday: Sunny with a high of 84F and a Low of 67F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 MPH.

PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Tuesday: RHP Chris Flexen (0-1, 12.00 ERA, 8.58 DRA, .458 TAv, -0.2 WARP) vs. RHP Andrew Cashner (7-8, 3.36 ERA, 5.28 DRA, .236 TAv, 0.4 WARP)
Wednesday: RHP Rafael Montero (1-7, 5.78 ERA, 6.05 DRA, .309 TAv, -0.4 WARP) vs. RHP A.J. Griffin (5-2, 5.20 ERA, 6.50 DRA, .262 TAv, -0.5 WARP)

WHO’S HOT?

Mets OF Michael Conforto: .309/.364/.602 slash line, 8 home runs, 16 RBIs over his last 98 ABs.
Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre: .297/.340/.462 slash line, three home runs, 15 RBIs over his last 91 ABs. (Joined the 3000 hits club.
Rangers 2B Rougned Odor: 7 home runs and 13 RBIs over his last 95 ABs.

WHO’S NOT?

Mets OF Curtis Granderson: .167 BA with 14 strikeouts over his last 48 ABs.
Mets SP Rafael Montero: 5.79 ERA with 28 hits and 8 walks surrendered over his last 23.1 innings.
Rangers OF Nomar Mazara: .192 BA with 19 strikeouts over his last 78 ABs.

WHEN WE LAST MET

The Mets last saw the Texas Rangers during a two game stint in Texas on June 6 and 7. The Amazins’ split the series with the Rangers, dropping the first game 10-8 and winning the second game 4-3.

IT’S LITERALLY A 10-DAY DL

Mets: Fresh off his “Game of Thrones” cameo as a soldier in the Lannister army, Noah Syndergaard is targeting a September return. Syndergaard, currently recovering from a torn lat, has progressed from throwing on flat ground to tossing at 150 feet. Matt Harvey continued his rehab from a scapula injury with a bullpen session this past Sunday. He is expected to throw another bullpen session Wednesday. Juan Lagares continued to work back from a fractured thumb by going 2-4 with a run scored in his rehab assignment with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He is expected to make his last rehab start on Tuesday.
Rangers: Jake Diekman, currently recovering from a multi-stage procedure to remove his colon, is expected to wait a little longer before going on a rehab assignment. The left-handed reliever suffered from Ulcerative Colitis for a large portion of his life before opting to have his colon removed and a J-Pouch constructed. Adrian Beltre was struck in the back of the head by a foul ball this past Sunday, but passed the concussion protocol and remained in the game.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“My body has never felt better. My arm is feeling really good.” – Noah Syndergaard on his continued recovery from a torn lat muscle.
“At some point, we’ll just do it. If necessary, we’ll just make the playing time available.” – Sandy Alderson on the imminent arrival of Dominic Smith.
“That his situation remains unresolved is just one indication that there doesn’t seem to be a clamoring within the Mets organization to retain Collins, and it may well be that — after seven years of managing the Mets — he’s ready to move on to something else. Nobody has said anything out loud, one way or the other.” – ESPN.com’s Buster Olney on the future of Terry Collins.
“We were overmatched. They outplayed us in every facet of the game. They obviously hit better than us, they pitched better than us. When you’re hitting home runs you don’t have to steal too much, you don’t have to run the bases very often. You just have to jog. They did that more than us too.” – Terry Collins on getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers after Sunday night’s game.

Photo credit: Kevin Jairaj – USA Today Sports

Great teams aren’t just a collection of great individual talent. They have players and management who are able to make adjustments throughout the season. Los Angeles found a way to get the most out of castoffs like Justin Turner and Chris Taylor. Meanwhile, Terry Collins and the Mets seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over again. As the Mets suffered another seemingly inevitable 7-3 loss to LA, it seems like the only people in Flushing making adjustments are the fans.

It was a good start to the game at least. Conforto, Wilmer Flores, and Curtis Granderson all homered in the first. Seth Lugo built off the strong end of his last start in Seattle by retiring 14 of the first 15 batters he faced. He relied on his slider more than past outings, commanding the glove side of the strike zone. Everyone thinks about Lugo’s high spin rate curveball, so a tight slider is a surprise.

Lugo’s unexpected success gave Terry Collins a tough decision. Lugo had only given up one hit and one unintentional walk. He was at 70 pitches. However, Lugo has allowed 40.6 percent of runners to reach base his third time through the lineup this season. Do you tell Lugo congratulations on five great innings and pull him so he leaves on a positive note? Or do you push Lugo to pitch more and risk a sudden implosion?

Anyone who has spent any time watching the Mets the last few years can predict what happened, even if you didn’t watch Saturday’s game. Collins left Lugo in and he lost command of his slider almost immediately. Chris Taylor led off the sixth with a home run. Lugo managed to retire Corey Seager but Turner singled and Cody Bellinger homered to tie the game at three. Collins has never learned when he is pushing one of his starters too far. I would cut other managers some slack, but Collins made the exact same mistake with Steven Matz on Tuesday.

Collins trying to squeeze every last out from his starters creates more problems down the line. Lugo ran out of gas so quickly that Paul Sewald had to rush his warmup then come in quickly to try and get out of the mess. He got one out, sat down for the bottom of the sixth, then had to pitch again and immediately gave up a leadoff home run to Yasiel Puig. Since Sewald retired the next three hitters, he got dragged out again for the top of the eighth…and gave up another home run!

When you don’t have the best raw talent, it’s even more important for management to put players in a position to succeed. Collins keeps burning his starters and then putting relievers in a position to fail. To make matters worse, he double switched to bring in Sewald. Flores left the game and Jose Reyes came in to hit ninth. Forget Flores’ reputation as a “lefty masher” – his OPS against righties is .161 higher than Reyes. The Mets get nothing from double switching and forcing Neil Walker to play first base for the first time in his big league career. But Collins is obsessed with double switches. Once Collins put his reliever in the fourth spot, he had to make another double switch, removing Conforto from the game. It’s fitting that Travis d’Arnaud – who eventually pinch hit for Conforto’s vacated spot – made the final out.

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz – USA Today Sports