The Mets and Yankees have split the first 2 games of the Subway Series and as we all know, starting pitching rules. On Friday night, Yankee fans saw what Michael Pineda can do when he is on. SU expects that type of performance to continue as the weather gets warmer. Matt Harvey picked up the Mets after their 11-game streak was stopped and while he did not have no-hitter quality stuff as SU had predicted, he was dominant. The Mets are a scrappy team with hitters up and down the line up – none of whom are necessarily All-Star caliber although Duda could get there – but they make contact and get on base. SU would expect them to take the rubber game tonight facing Eovaldi who they must have seen a bunch of times while he was on the Marlins.
CC Sabathia is now 0-4 and I think we know what we have here. A “solid” start for him this year will be 6 innings, 4-5 runs, a couple of homeruns and comments about needing to spot his change up better. Read and repeat 30 times. Girardi will say he’s an “innings eater” and “he’s our best option.” When you are a .500 team, you roll these guys out there every 5 days (and when you owe him another $45 million in salary).
Mark Texieira is up to .254 and is red hot which is unusual for him in April. SU does not see that lasting but he can carry the team for a while. A-Rod is down to .250. The team will soon converge on a team batting average for the season of .243 which feels about right.
Eduardo Nunez on the Twins is 6 for 10 playing once a week with 3 doubles. He was once considered to be the future shortstop for the Yankees and he could no doubt be had for almost nothing. Surely, his fielding is no worse than Didi Gregorius. SU says bring back this long-time SU fave and put him in at shortstop (of course, will never happen as that would require Cashman admitting he made a mistake in moving him last year).
Not much drama in the first round of the NBA playoffs but that will change in the next round with much better match ups. But don’t lose sight of the Clippers and Spurs just yet. If LA can figure out a way today, that series is back at 2-2 and they would regain home court.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Sorry, there must be a technical glitch, because somehow SU completely ignored the Rangers. I am sure your comment included something like this: “While SU is not a hockey expert, it was impressed to see the Rangers grind out 4 tough wins without playing their best hockey yet. Although it was against an inferior opponent, they showed good character and as we all know, in the playoffs, it’s just survive and advance. The defense and goaltending were superb, and if their offense picks it up, they have a chance to have another successful playoff run.”
Mark, thanks for helping out here. Who is the better match-up for the Rangers in the next round? A fierce, local rival or the Caps?
If Yankees lose tonight, Tampa Bay all alone in first place in the division.
And the Rays are starting to get healthy. It would be something if they win the division given what they’ve lost from last season.
Question: who is more annoying as a baseball analyst? Curt Schilling or Al Leiter? It is very, very close.
Turned the sound off in the top of the first- think I’ll try the SAP button and have Kathy translate for me.
I guess starting pitching rules except when it doesn’t. There are games like last night where the starters are awful and then it’s about bullpens and defense. It’s still very early and in baseball you can never conclude anything from one month, let alone one series. But we have learned that the Yankees will once again hang around in a weakened division. They may be able to win the division. They may not. This is the new reality for Yankees fans but this is still better than what most teams’ fans live with. We also learned that the Mets are scrappy and more fun to watch than in recent years but that they will not win 115 games.