N.Y. Mets: Roosevelt Ave Sluggers Too Much for Bronx Bombers

From the desks of:  HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET  and  BLAME CARLOS MAY

NEW YORK, NEW YORK;

It's a hell of a town.

The Bronx slipped up; Flushing Queens is down;

The people ride in a crumbling hole in the ground.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Run by a Bunch of Clowns!

Add C.C. Sabathia to the list of disabled.  He will miss his next two starts due to right knee inflammation.  On the brighter side, a troublesome knee is nothing new to Sabathia.  It's something he manages.  Nevertheless, it's an untimely setback for the Yankees starting rotation.  The news comes on the heels of Sunny Gray's demotion to the bullpen, and newly acquired J.A. Happ contracting Hand, Foot, Mouth disease.

Sabathia is coming off a six inning one-hit shut-out performance in Sunday's Yankees victory over the Texas Rangers.  In 22 starts to date, he's 7-4 with a very respectable 3.32 ERA and 1.28 WHiP, with 106 strikeouts through 119.1 innings pitched.

He was given a fourteen day break between starts during the all-star break.  This next 10-day stint on the disabled list just may prove beneficial for the 38-year old veteran.  If the Yankees are to catch the Red Sox, or at minimum maintain control of the Wild Card, they'll need a reliable C.C. in September.  Although it's "only" mid-August, if one considers the length of a post-season run, his creaky hinge comes into question.

That said, the Yankees are now down three very key components: Sabathia, Gary Sanchez, and Aaron Judge, whom is still experiencing pain in his wrist.  As such, their margin of error diminishes with every Boston, Oakland, and Seattle victory.

Despite Monday night's subway series make-up loss at the Stadium, the Yankees end the day with the second best record in baseball, but you'd never know it.  Fans officially are in a panic.  In a season only baseball can script, the best record of all belongs to the team atop the A.L. East standings hailing from Boston.  While the Yankees sport an impressive (74-34) record, the idle Red Sox entered Monday's action FIFTY!! games over .500, and now own a ten game lead over the Yankees.

Jacob deGrom  vs.  Luis Severino

The crosstown Mets give the Yankees something else to ponder Monday night.  They knock Yankees starter Luis Severino out of the box with a first inning home run by Amed Rosario, a fourth inning home run by Jose Bautista.  Overall Mets strike seven hits off Severino in just four innings pitched.  

• In his last seven starts, Luis Severino has surrendered 31 earned runs in 36 innings pitched for a very problematic 7.75 ERA.  Despite 35 strikeouts, he has allowed 54 hits and nine walks for a 1.75 WHiP.

The Mets receive much needed insurance on home runs by Todd Frazier, Brandon Nimmo, and Michael Conforto.

Starter Jacob deGrom surrenders three runs, just two earned, on five hits and a pair of walks through 6.2 innings pitched.  He exits on the winning side of a 7-3 game but not before fanning twelve batters.  Jerry Blevins closes out the seventh in relief of deGrom.  However, Seth Lugo surrenders a two-run home run to Miguel Andujar making it a 7-5 Mets lead.

• Mets have all of a sudden scored fifteen runs in Jacob deGrom's last two starts.  Jacob deGrom finally evens his record to 7-7 with a 1.81 ERA.  He has surrendered four runs in a game just once all season, against the Marlins back on Apr. 10 at Miami,and is now just four innings away from tying Dwight Gooden's club record of consecutive starts allowing three runs or less (per SNY post game).

In the top of the ninth, Gleyber Torres mishandles Didi's throw to second base on a potential double-play ball, allowing the Mets their eighth run of the evening, and their final margin of victory.

Robert Gsellman closes out the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.

The Mets win their 50th game of the season.