We’ve grown accustomed to the Yankees and Mets downplaying the importance of games against each other. For years, they’ve insisted that these games mean just as much to them as games against the Reds, Red Sox, Rangers or Rockies. 162 games, that’s it.
And we get it, this is no longer 1970, when the Yankees basked in ecstasy after beating the defending champion Mets in the Mayor’s Cup Game. That ecstasy meant nothing to anyone except the 49,569 fans in Yankee Stadium, the third-largest crowd that year, and players like Fritz Peterson, who, like Joe Namath, walked off the field jabbing his index finger in the air.
No, we understand. This isn’t 1977, when the Yankees were blown out by the Mets in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the game was televised in New York, leading George Steinbrenner to yell in the clubhouse after the game and nearly fire Billy Martin for the first time, fearing that the result would be a mass exodus of ticket buyers from the Bronx to Queens.
And certainly none of it will be compared to the year 2000 (until the year 2000 comes around again).
Still, this time around, it doesn’t feel like rhetoric or forced distancing. Even the game between these two teams at Citi Field in June didn’t carry the same overall importance as the one over the next two days at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees then crushed the Rays 9-1 at the stadium, ending the rough patch for at least one day, and the Mets, though playing better, were still below .500 and unlikely to make the National League playoffs.
Well… as a guy who knows both teams in the Subway Series would say, “the night is coming early.” The Mets beat the Marlins 6-4 in Miami to hold onto the No. 3 Wild Card spot, half a game back of No. 2. With the win, the Yankees remain within three straight losses of the Red Sox for the No. 3 Wild Card spot, and their loss to the Orioles put them within three straight losses of each other.
It might still be somewhat interesting to see the Mets and Yankees meet on the same field, but the bigger concern for both teams is staying relevant, as they enter a season where every win is crucial, with the trade deadline just a week away.
“We want to win,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s not about the Mets, it’s about where we are in the season. They’re the next guy in our way. It’s not really personal for us.”
“We’re just trying to win games. What happened in the past is in the past. We want to win the series and keep the momentum going,” said Juan Soto, who returned strong from the All-Star break with two emphatic home runs on Monday afternoon.
And of course, the Yankees know what Luis Severino said the other day, when he pointed out in a text message that the team “only had two hitters,” provoking a few former teammates. Those words won’t be printed on the home message boards on Tuesday, because they make no sense. What made much more sense was that the No. 4 through No. 9 hitters went 10-for-22, including homers from Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe and, no, I wasn’t hallucinating, DJ LeMahieu.
It’s good to remember that the Yankees are tied with the Phillies for the most games with five or more runs scored (51) and are one of just three teams to reach 60 wins.
What about the Mets? Monday was the final game of a 35-game stretch that saw them play 33 times against teams with a winning percentage below 50% (and twice against the last-place Yankees). With a record of 23-12 (exactly the record a Post columnist originally predicted), the Mets find themselves looking at themselves in very different terms than they did 35 games ago.
“We want to have the same mentality,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “taking it one day at a time, coming to the ballpark, preparing, competing, focusing on the game that’s in front of us. We have the Yankees. [Tuesday] So I need that same approach to continue to play well.”
Now they’ll face the Yankees for the final time. They’ll face the Braves this weekend, then the Twins, and then spend most of August on the road. The fun is over. The serious stuff begins. And the Yankees will be welcoming their college team back. That’s the stakes. And it’s worth more than the Mayor’s Trophy.
