Mets at Yankees
Sonny Gray was the prize acquisition at the trade deadline, however the New York Yankees have yet to make the 27-year-old feel welcome by presenting him with just one single run of support in his first two appearances. Gray and the Yankees hope the third time's the charm on Tuesday as they face the New York Mets in the Bronx for the second contest of the four-game Subway Series.
While Gray has been left blue after consecutive outings, Gary Sanchez homered for the second time in three contests to highlight the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Mets on Monday. Sanchez is 9-for-22 with three homers, five RBIs and as many runs scored during his six-game hitting streak for the Yankees, who won for only the fifth time in 13 contests and moved within 4 1/2 games of first-place Boston in the American League East. The Yankees may find the going tough against Tuesday starter Jacob deGrom, who owns a 9-2 mark with a 1.82 ERA and 85 strikeouts in his last 79 1/3 innings. Former Yankee Curtis Granderson homered for the second straight game on Monday to give him four hits, four RBIs and four runs scored in that stretch after going 2-for-14 in his previous five outings.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, SNY (Mets), WPIX (Yankees)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39)
Gray allowed two earned runs or fewer for the eighth straight start on Thursday and worked six innings of a 4-0 setback at Toronto. "I just gave them too many free passes and I just didn't throw enough strikes, definitely not enough quality strikes," Gray said after issuing four walks. Gray has limited history against the Mets, but has kept Jose Reyes (1-for-10) and Asdrubal Cabrera (2-for-8) under wraps.
DeGrom recorded at least nine strikeouts for the 10th time in 23 starts this season in Thursday's rout of Philadelphia. The 29-year-old was cruising along and scattered four hits over 6 2/3 innings before exiting after being struck by a comebacker. "When it first hit me, it didn't feel good," deGrom said. "But I was fortunate enough that it didn't hit me in the elbow, it was above it."
WALK-OFFS
1. Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes has homered in three straight games and four times in his last six.
2. Yankees LF Brett Gardner is just 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts in his last five contests.
3. Cabrera is riding a five-game hitting streak after going 0-for-12 with five strikeouts in his previous three contests.