06182023

Subway Series: Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Mets’ Justin Verlander Face Off

When Cole and Verlander take the mound Wednesday, they will be in situations similar to the first time they matched up. Cole, who is 7-1 with a 2.84 E.R.A., figures to be on his way to another All-Star selection and is one of the early favorites to win the A.L.’s Cy Young Award. And as was the case in 2015, Verlander missed the start of this season with an injury and has yet to find his groove.

Verlander, 40, has alternated between strong starts and clunkers. In three of his seven outings, he’s gone at least six innings and allowed one run, but his overall numbers (2-3, 4.85 E.R.A.) are hardly what the Mets expected when they signed him. If the recent pattern holds, though, the Mets could be in for a good night. Verlander went three innings and allowed five runs (four earned) his last time out against the Atlanta Braves.

Either way, the Yankees know how difficult Verlander is to hit. Over his last six starts against them, Verlander is 3-1 with a 3.18 E.R.A. and 45 strikeouts in 39⅔ innings. The same holds true for Mets batters facing Cole, even though his results (2-2, 6.75 E.R.A.) have been mixed against them. He has faced the Mets only once since he joined the Yankees, and in that 2021 outing he lasted three and one-thirds innings and allowed four runs.

Regardless of any recent results, expectations will be high for the matchup.

“In Justin’s case, you know, already headed to the Hall of Fame, and Gerrit is a guy that I feel like is in the middle of a Hall of Fame career,” Boone said. “So I’m sure that’ll add a little extra to it.”

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