Carlos Beltran (Anthony J. Causi)
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The Post takes a position-by-position look at the Mets and Yankees heading into the 15th season of the Subway Series.
The six-game set begins with three at Yankee Stadium starting Friday night.
CATCHER
RONNY PAULINO: With three righty starters going for Yankees this weekend, Josh Thole should also see time. Both Mets backstops will be making their Subway debuts. Paulino has hit and caught well (2.07 ERA, 57 percent caught stealing). Thole hasn’t.
RUSSELL MARTIN: Subway debut as well for new Yankee catcher, who has slumped in the last month. Maybe facing NL teams again will help the former Dodger. He is 7-for-11 with a homer and four doubles off tomorrow’s starter, Chris Capuano. Can he throw out Jose Reyes? Francisco Cervelli could catch either tomorrow or Sunday.
EDGE: Yankees
FIRST BASE
DANIEL MURPHY: Has been respectable this season, but can’t touch his counterpart here, which is a common theme for this series. If Ike Davis were healthy, this would certainly be closer.
MARK TEIXEIRA: Bizarrely, switch hitter entered last night without an extra-base hit in his last nine games — a brutal streak. Defense remains excellent, and comparing him to Murphy is an utter mismatch.
EDGE: Yankees
SECOND BASE
RUBEN TEJADA: New call-up did play against the Yankees in last year’s Subway Series, which might help his adjustment this weekend. Still, difficult to know how he’ll fare, considering he was just promoted from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday night.
ROBINSON CANO: Has been disappointing defensively this season, but remains superb hitter and all-around player. Probably due to go on hitting tear — could happen this weekend against crosstown rivals.
EDGE: Yankees
SHORTSTOP
JOSE REYES: Longtime Subway individual matchup has gone back and forth. This year, it’s not comparable. Explosive leadoff man could be playing his final Subway Series if he’s dealt before the July 1-3 series. Worth noting that he’s 0-for-17 off tomorrow’s starter, A.J. Burnett.
DEREK JETER: Has been superstar against Mets in his career but obviously in the midst of poor season at the plate. Does he have another big Subway Series in him?
EDGE: Mets
THIRD BASE
JUSTIN TURNER: No David Wright this weekend, thanks to his stress fracture, so Turner will get his Subway Series at-bats. Has been surprisingly productive at the plate, though now has to adapt to playing third base.
ALEX RODRIGUEZ: Slumping superstar broke out of his funk with two homers against Rays on Tuesday and four hits versus Orioles on Wednesday. For whatever it’s worth, was just 4-for-23 against Mets last season. Against tricky R.A. Dickey, tonight’s starter, has gone 5-for-8, albeit with no homers.
EDGE: Yankees
LEFT FIELD
JASON BAY: Massively disappointing during his time in New York and has just three extra-base hits since April 23. Is striking out in more than a quarter of his at-bats. Has gone 8-for-21 with a homer off Burnett.
BRETT GARDNER: Opened his season 6-for-47 (.128) with 14 strikeouts, but has emerged since and defense remains excellent. Oddly, steals are way down this season after he swiped 47 bases last year.
EDGE: Yankees
CENTER FIELD
JASON PRIDIE: Another Met making his Subway Series debut. Has done a decent job replacing injured Angel Pagan. No lefties scheduled to start for the Yankees, so Scott Hairston probably won’t get any games in center.
CURTIS GRANDERSON: The Yankees’ quarter-pole MVP is off to superb start and has impressed defensively so far in 2011 as well. Is hitting lefties and developing into fearsome hitter. One of the biggest series mismatches.
EDGE: Yankees
RIGHT FIELD
CARLOS BELTRAN: In first season in right field and final season with Mets, has stayed healthy and re-emerged as terrific hitter. Like Reyes, trade candidate could be entering his final Subway Series. Is a staggering 14-for-31 (.452) with three homers and 10 RBIs off tonight’s starter, Freddy Garcia.
NICK SWISHER: Abysmal season so far for the switch-hitting power/patience man. Was one of Yankees’ best players in Subway Series last season, going 8-for-23 (.348) with team-high five runs scored.
EDGE: Mets
DH
FERNANDO MARTINEZ: Recently recalled prospect is expected to serve as DH tonight and tomorrow, with Beltran getting a turn on Sunday. Was hitting decently at Triple-A prior to recall (.292/.361/.477).
JORGE POSADA: Embattled Bomber and longtime Subway veteran is yet another who might be entering his last series against his team’s crosstown rivals. Should start tonight and Sunday against righties. Andruw Jones will almost certainly DH against lefty Capuano, especially since he’s 6-for-18 with four homers off him.
EDGE: Yankees
STARTING PITCHING
Dickey will make his first Subway Series start tonight, but the knuckler has struggled this year. Capuano and Mike Pelfrey are both in midst of good streaks. No Johan Santana hurts, of course, and Mets’ best Subway starter last year (Hisanori Takahashi, 12 shutout innings) is gone.
The Yankees will start righties Garcia, Burnett and Ivan Nova, so the Mets don’t have to worry about ace CC Sabathia. No telling what you might get from any of these Yankees starters. The Yankees’ best starter vs. the Mets last year was Javy Vazquez (0.69 ERA in two starts).
EDGE: Even
BULLPEN
Outstanding start to the year by Francisco Rodriguez, and Jason Isringhausen, Taylor Buchholz (though he has surrendered four homers) and Pedro Beato have all been strong. Lefties Tim Byrdak and Mike O’Connor will be needed vs. Cano, Granderson and Gardner.
No Pedro Feliciano to face his former team and go after Davis, as he said he’d do at the beginning of the season. And Rafael Soriano is on the DL. Still, Mariano Rivera is the best pitcher in this series and the top closer in MLB. Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson and Boone Logan are a somewhat-reliable set-up crew.
EDGE: Yankees
BENCH
Especially due to injuries to Davis and Wright, the Mets’ bench is extremely shaky. Either Paulino or Thole will be a pinch-hitting option, while Hairston, Willie Harris and Nick Evans round out the mediocre crew.
When Posada is the DH, Jones will be Yankees’ best pinch-hitting option. Cervelli, Eduardo Nunez and newly recalled Chris Dickerson are here, too.
EDGE: Yankees
MANAGER
TERRY COLLINS: The Mets skipper will be taking part in his first Subway Series action. The Mets are just 8-15 against the best teams they’ve played so far this year — Phillies (2-4), Giants (1-2), Rockies (2-5), Marlins (2-2) and Braves (1-2).
JOE GIRARDI: Has dealt with problematic issues involving Posada and Jeter, but has already called at least one team meeting, and club has suffered from sloppy play, which is not a Girardi custom. Worth noting that while Yankees have had injuries to Phil Hughes, Feliciano and now Soriano, entire starting lineup, rotation and bullpen have been healthy beyond that.
EDGE: Yankees
INTANGIBLES
Mets come into the series playing well over their last 25 games. Still, they are injury-ravaged and won’t have home-field advantage for this one. And they’re far, far less talented than the Yankees.
The Yanks dealt with Posada and Jeter issues in the past six days and suffered through six-game losing skid, but have regrouped over last few days. They have more to lose than the Mets do.
EDGE: Yankees
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