Yankees ace Max Fried charged with ending skid in clash vs. Mets
Things have been 'really cool' for Brandon Nimmo of late.
The New York Mets left fielder has two grand slams in the past four days and is batting .353 (6-for-17) during that stretch to help his team post a four-game winning streak. Nimmo has 18 home runs in 86 games this season, just six shy of his career-best homer total of 24 set in 152 games in 2023.
He and the Mets will look to keep rolling and try to sweep the New York Yankees in the Subway Series finale on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Nimmo blasted his most recent grand slam in the first inning Saturday, helping his team to a lead it would never relinquish during a 12-6 victory.
'It's really cool when cool things happen like that,' he said. 'I've been playing a long time, and I haven't hit two grand slams in a week, so it's a really fun feeling, especially in this atmosphere. It feels like playoff baseball. The Subway Series is always so much energy, and to do that in the first inning is really, really cool.'
About 2 1/2 years ago, Nimmo made changes to his swing and his approach at the plate. He became more selective and looked to inflict as much damage as possible in each at-bat.
'He's been locked in now for a good stretch,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. 'Driving the baseball with authority, controlling the strike zone, going the other way, taking tough pitches. ... There's a lot to like from his at-bats right now.'
It's helped the Mets turn a corner after losing 14 of 17 from June 13 to the first game of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. New York rebounded to take the second game and has been crushing the ball offensively during its current run of success, outscoring its opponents 28-16.
Right-hander Chris Devenski (0-0, 3.38 ERA), who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, will the start for the Mets on Sunday.
The Yankees will counter with ace left-hander Max Fried (10-2, 2.13 ERA) as they look to snap a six-game losing streak. He is 9-5 with a 2.50 ERA in 24 games (19 starts) against the Mets.
With their latest loss, the Yankees have fallen three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the top spot in the American League East. The Yankees have dropped 16 of their past 22 games, and their current slide is their second six-game setback during that stretch. It's their longest skid since dropping nine straight from Aug. 12-22, 2023.
The last time they had two six-game slides in a season was in 2000.
'These are the moments that build character as a team and also help you find out and define what the heck you need moving forward and where you need to change,' Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Defensive errors have hurt the Yankees in this series, with three through the two games. The two on Saturday ultimately led to runs.
'We've just got to play better,' Yankees star Aaron Judge said. 'That's what it comes down to. It's fundamentals, making the routine plays routine. It's just the little things.'
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