Game: New York Yankees @ New York Mets
Time: 7:10 p.m.
Odds: Yankees +138, Mets -149
Total: 7.5
Regular-season games between the New York Mets and New York Yankees have been about seeing the best and most well-known players in baseball on the same field a few times per season for more than 25 years. But, when the Mets and Yankees square off in the first game of a quick two-game interleague series tonight, Pete Alonso and Aaron Judge will be content to watch from the sidelines.
In a matchup of right-handers, Max Scherzer (5-2, 3.71 ERA) will start for the Mets against the Yankees Luis Severino (0-1, 5.75).
After losing the final two games of their three-game series on Sunday, both teams had the day off on Monday. The host Yankees blew a lead in the eighth inning and lost to the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in 10 innings. The visiting Mets were held to just three hits in a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The lackluster offensive performances highlighted the difficulties the New York teams face without Alonso and Judge, who have been leading their respective leagues in home runs this season. Alonso has 22 homers to lead the NL and MLB. Judge has 19 dingers and was just overtaken for the AL lead by Shohei Ohtani (20). Since 2019, Alonso and Judge lead the majors in home runs. Alonso has 168 homers over the last four seasons while Judge has 156.
However, neither player will probably be able to increase his total until July. After spraining his right big toe on June 3 at Dodger Stadium when he collided with a concrete curb underneath a fence while making a catch, Judge is out indefinitely. Due to the left wrist bone bruise and sprain he sustained after being struck by a Charlie Morton pitch last Wednesday, Alonso will be out for three to four weeks.
Without Judge, the Yankees are 3-4 and have scored 21 runs, which ranks as the fourth-fewest total in either league since June 4. After taking full advantage of their opportunities in a 3-1 victory on Saturday night—Willie Calhoun and Gleyber Torres each homered, and Kyle Higashioka added an RBI single—a mistake by Torres in the eighth inning caused the loss on Sunday. Enrique Hernandez singled to right field and advanced to second when Torres made no attempt to field Billy McKinney’s bouncing throw.
The Mets scored 22 runs in their first three games without Alonso and somehow managed to lose all three. The Mets are 1-8 SU in their last nine games. Alonso’s absence was noticeable on Sunday as the Mets managed just one hit after Jeff McNeil’s home run to start the fourth inning. The Mets tied a season-high by falling four games below .500 with the loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Last Wednesday, Scherzer allowed five runs over 5.1 innings in a 7-5 loss to Atlanta. He was not involved in the decision. Last Thursday, when the Yankees fell to the Chicago White Sox 6-5 in the opening game of a doubleheader, Severino allowed four runs over five innings and did not factor into the decision.
In 11 starts against the Yankees in his career, Scherzer is 4-5 with a 3.67 ERA. In four games (three starts), Severino is 2-2 with a 2.75 ERA against the Mets.
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