By admin 
Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole described the New York Yankees playing games in September as the postseason approaches as “the fun part” while Francisco Lindor lamented how the New York Mets did not do enough early this season to put themselves in contention for the playoffs.
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On Saturday, the Yankees’ quest to clinch a postseason spot was partially derailed by the Mets continuing their late hot streak after falling out of contention earlier in the season.
After a rough performance Saturday and with American League Cy Young Award favorite Cam Schlittler on the mound Sunday afternoon, the Yankees will attempt to move toward securing their ninth playoff appearance in 10 seasons when they host the Mets in the season finale of the Subway Series.
The Yankees (85-63) are 17-8 in their past 25 games despite allowing six homers in Saturday’s 12-2 loss to the Mets. Cole allowed three homers in 4 1/3 innings before the Yankees took one of their worst defeats this season.
“This is the fun part of it, because the reward is close,” he said. “Getting to the postseason, being able to chase your ultimate goal — these are the games you look forward to the most.”
With 14 games left, the Yankees begin Sunday needing a win, and then a loss by the Toronto Blue Jays, to join the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only teams to make the playoffs in nine of the past 10 seasons since 2017.
The Mets (69-79), meanwhile, are trying to fend off clinching a losing season for as long as possible after falling 19 games under .500 in July, losing 12 straight in April, and trading several players at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Since the trades, the Mets are 22-13 and are coming off setting a Subway Series record with six homers on Saturday. The team also is 5-1 in its past six games, collecting 51 runs, 17 homers and batting .279.
Lindor, who missed two months of the season with a calf injury and is hitting .234, is coming off a big showing with a leadoff homer off Cole and a grand slam in the eighth. Lindor has four of his five multi-homer games since Aug. 30 and heads into his first encounter against Schlittler batting .314 in 26 Subway Series games since joining the Mets in 2021.
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“This is what we should have been doing from the beginning, but it’s part of the journey and part of the year and try to make the most of it,” Lindor said.
Said Mets interim manager Andy Green: “We didn’t meet expectations for the vast majority of the season, but where this group is mentally right now, when we step on the field, we expect to win. We don’t really care who’s on the other side.”
Schlittler (13-6, 2.01 ERA), who leads the majors by allowing one earned run or less in 20 starts, will face the Mets for the second time in his career. He has allowed one run or less in his past six starts since Aug. 3 and has 49 strikeouts in those games.
Schlittler last pitched on Tuesday, when he allowed one run on three hits and struck out 10 in a 5-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.
In his only appearance against the Mets, on May 15 at Citi Field, he allowed one run on two hits in 6 2/3 innings and earned the victory when he also struck out nine while Lindor was on the injured list. The Yankees won 5-2.
After getting seven impressive innings Saturday from Zac Thornton (two runs over seven innings), the Mets will start their third rookie of the series when right-hander Christian Scott (4-4, 3.81 ERA) faces the Yankees for the first time.
Scott most recently pitched in last Sunday’s 4-2 win over the San Francisco Giants, when he allowed two runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings before the Mets scored four times in the eighth inning.
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–Field Level Media
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 5:24 AM.