New York Yankees vs. New York Mets: Domingo Germán vs. Justin Verlander

Looking at the calendar prior to the start of the season, I don’t think many expected the Yankees and Mets would be out of a playoff spot when the Subway Series rolled around at the end of July. The pair of New York outfits have been two of the biggest disappointments of the campaign, the Yankees barely treading water in a tie for last in the division while the sub-.500 Mets require a miracle of biblical proportions to sneak into the postseason. Two games in the Bronx will hardly cement either team’s fate, but could be instrumental in determining the course the Yankees take at the trade deadline.

Domingo Germán is coming off his worst start post perfect game having given up five runs in six innings in a loss to the Angels. That said, he’s seen the strikeouts tick up of late, recording nine punchouts in three of his last four outings. The curveball continues to be his primary weapon, racking up an impressive .177 batting average against and 38.5-percent whiff rate. In 18 starts, Germán is 5-6 with a 4.52 ERA (94 ERA+), 4.62 FIP, and 101 strikeouts in 97.2 innings.

Justin Verlander could find himself on the trading block come the end of the week, meaning this could be the last start of his short and perhaps ill-fated Mets tenure. He’s been perfectly serviceable on the run prevention front though the strikeouts are down to their lowest point since 2014 with the Tigers. That doesn’t mean the Yankees can take him lightly — in 24 career starts against them he’s got a 3.37 ERA and 144 strikeouts against 43 walks in 152.1 innings including six innings of one-run ball when they met in June. In 14 starts, Verlander is 4-5 with a 3.47 ERA (119 ERA+), 3.98 FIP, and 70 strikeouts in 83 innings.

The Yankees field their strongest Judge-less lineup, with Jake Bauers leading off for the second straight game following his return from injury. It’s also reassuring to see Gleyber Torres back and batting second following his own injury scare having left Sunday’s contest with left hip tightness. Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and DJ LeMahieu have all shown signs of life in recent games with Rizzo breaking the second-longest homerless streak of his career during his 4-for-4 day against the Royals.

The Mets lineup boasts above-average production at all but three spots, though the Yankees are lucky they won’t have to face top contributor Tommy Pham tonight. Brandon Nimmo was one of the hottest hitters in baseball for most of June and into early July but has cooled off considerably since then while Francisco Lindor has always done well against the Yankees with a 153 wRC+ in 215 plate appearances. The Bombers will get a look at two out of the Mets’ three exciting rookies, Brett Baty and Francsico Álvarez getting starts while Mark Vientos gets the day off.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: TBS — National (where available) / YES – NYY / SNY — NYM

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv

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