Mets Take away Harvey Early, & Yanks Don’t Argue That

After Yankees starter CC Sabathia had arguably his best start of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays last week, he continued the upward trend on Sunday night. New York, which leads the wild-card standings, moved within 2 1/2 games of first-place Toronto heading into a three-game set beginning Monday night. The Mets have placed a loose innings cap on Harvey’s start tonight, his first since September 8, but manager Terry Collins will be watching more than just Harvey’s innings and pitches.

“If we get in the postseason, as I’m sitting here, Noah Syndergaard will be starting one of the first few games”, Collins said.

“It was extremely hard to take [Harvey] out – it was the ideal storm”, Collins said, noting Harvey came to bat in the fourth with a runner in scoring position. Sabathia is 3-2 with a 3.49 ERA in six career starts against the Mets, but they hammered him for seven runs and nine hits over five innings in a loss earlier this season. “I called down and said, two guys get on, he’s coming in”. They led only by a run.

Michael Pineda (11-8) gave up just four hits over 5 and 1/3 innings, and the Yankee bullpen was equally as good from there. The next batter, Brett Gardner, grounded to Robles, but the reliever opted to try to catch Ellsbury at third, and Wright was unable to handle the throw.

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez pumps fists with Alex Weissman, … Robles struck out catcher Brian McCann, walked first baseman Greg Bird and struck out third baseman Chase Headley before Ackley homered over the right field fence. But Girardi, whose bullpen entered Saturday with the third most innings in the American League (479), got left-hander Justin Wilson up after Pineda allowed back-to-back singles to pinch hitter Kelly Johnson and right fielder Curtis Granderson. You win three in a row, and it’s like you’re never going to lose again. Tossing 41 innings in just five starts shows that he is going deep into games and dominating. Right fielder Jason Heyward threw out Rizzo on Addison Russell’s no-out, bases-loaded fly. Ellsbury and McCann had RBI singles in the eighth before Bird launched a three-run homer.

“It’ll be nice”, Girardi said. Ackley has hit.360 with two home runs, five extra base hits and six runs batted in since joining the Yankees.

“I think you want a chance”. When contact is made on the first pitch, opposing hitters have an average of.426 with three home runs.

It was time because of a controversial innings limit introduced in order to spare Harvey’s elbow from a hypothetical second Tommy John surgery.

“It feels good”, Sabathia said after his first go-round with the brace, per Kerber.

“I actually got a bit of a bad read on it”, the left fielder said. “That’s their situation for them to deal with, so I keep worrying about myself and the Yankees”.

The Mets’ NL East lead fell to games 7 games with 14 to play.

The Blue Jays took a 4-2 lead in the eighth before Bradley tied the game with his homer against right-hander Roberto Osuna (1-5). Struggling RHP Ivan Nova, recently removed from the rotation, will pitch in Tanaka’s place Wednesday night. “We’ve been fighting and fighting”, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters.

Both Saturday and Sunday the Yankees started Dustin Ackley at second base against righties. Mets 2B Juan Uribe left after four innings due to a chest contusion….

Four Mets pitchers, meanwhile, ended the Yankees homer streak at 11 games.

The New York Yankees have defeated the New York Mets 5-0 in the second game of their subway series.