The Captain's Blog

Over the past several years, the Subway Series has usually featured two teams on divergent paths. When the Yankees have been riding high, the Mets have usually been down in the dumps, and vice versa. This time, however, both teams come limping into the showdown.

The Subway Series is always important for both teams (although much more for their fans), but this time around, the relative struggles of each team has given it added significance. The Yankees’ main concern is getting back on a winning track so the Rays don’t run and hide. The Mets, however, could be playing for their manager’s job. Should the Yankees sweep, many have speculated that Jerry Manuel could be fired.

For most of the season, Javier Vazquez has been the Yankees sore thumb, but now he is being called upon to be a stopper. After a strong start in Detroit and a relief victory against Boston, Vazquez seeks to make further progress in what so far has been a disappointing season. With the offense depleted by injuries and the rest of the starters suffering their first hiccup of the season, Vazquez’ performance has ceased to be a luxury, so any step back could be a considerable blow.

The Mets, meanwhile, have been teetering on the brink of oblivion. Three-fifths of their rotation has been sidelined by either injury or poor performance, while hitters up and down the lineup have struggled to produce. In particular, the triumvirate of Reyes, Francoeur and Bay has failed to meet expectations, which has caused the offense to stagnate. David Wright has also come under constant criticism despite being the team’s best offensive player. While his 55 strikeouts have been staggering, Wright has essentially become the whipping boy for team-wide failure (ala Arod in the past).

The Yankees have been playing a National League lineup for much of the past 10 games, so tonight’s lineup doesn’t represent the usual drop off that the team has suffered in an NL park. The addition of Kevin Russo in the eighth slot is a new wrinkle, but otherwise the Yankees will rely on their core group of stars to handle Japanese import Hisanori Takahashi, who throws everything but the kitchen sink.

So, with both teams hungry for a win, it will be interesting to see if the extra scrutiny of the series tightens the noose around each team, or helps them shake off their recent doldrums.

Interleague Facts and Figures

• At 133-95, the Yankees have the best record in interleague games.
• Derek Jeter (303) and Alex Rodriguez (253) have the most hits in interleague history.
• Jeter has also scored the most runs (171) in interleague, while Arod has had the most RBIs (163).