Yankees, Luis Gil seek needed win against rising Mets

The New York Yankees are on pace to win more than 100 games. The New York Mets have spent the past seven weeks trying to climb back to .500.

The New York Yankees are on pace to win more than 100 games. The New York Mets have spent the past seven weeks trying to climb back to .500.

But neither team has looked like its record lately.

The Mets will look to continue surging Wednesday night when they host the Yankees in the finale of a two-game Subway Series.

Left-hander Sean Manaea (4-3, 4.16 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against right-hander Luis Gil (9-2, 2.77).

Mark Vientos hit two of the Mets' four homers Tuesday night in a 9-7 win.

Harrison Bader and Brandon Nimmo each hit homers as a rejuvenated lineup continued helping the Mets climb out of the hole they dug while going 9-19 in May. The Mets have gone 14-6 this month -- the best record in the majors -- to climb within a game of .500 at 38-39. They have scored 123 runs since June 1, the most in the National League.

Every starter had at least one hit Tuesday for the Mets except Pete Alonso, who lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in the final run in the sixth inning. Jeff McNeil, who entered the game mired in a 3-for-34 slump dating back to June 11, was one of four Mets with two hits.

"The offense is really clicking right now," said Mets pitcher David Peterson, who allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings and took a no-decision on Tuesday. "Every night it's someone new that's a spark plug. So it's fun to watch."

Fun has been in short supply lately for the Yankees, despite their 52-29 record and two-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East at the halfway point of the season. The Yankees have lost eight of 11, a span in which they've been outscored 71-50 while Anthony Rizzo (broken right forearm) and Giancarlo Stanton (right hamstring) have been placed on the injured list.

The Yankees have scored four runs or fewer six times during their slump. They fell behind 9-1 Tuesday before scoring once in the seventh and five times in the eighth, when Aaron Judge hit a grand slam.

"We've got to treat every inning like it's 0-0, every game like it's 0-0," Judge said. "It doesn't matter what happens in the first or second (inning) -- we've got to continue to keep our approach and keep having quality at-bats."

Manaea didn't factor into the decision in his most recent start last Wednesday, when he allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings as the Mets fell to the Texas Rangers, 5-3. He is 1-3 with a 4.46 ERA in six career starts against the Yankees.

Gil took the defeat last Thursday after giving up seven runs over 1 1/3 innings as the Yankees lost to the Orioles, 17-5. The American League Rookie of the Year candidate was 8-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his previous nine starts. He has never opposed the Mets.

--Field Level Media