So, which pattern resumes when the Mets play host to the Yankees this weekend?
Do the Mets silence the Yankees with three more pitching gems, as they just did against the Orioles? Or, because it will be a weekend, does that mean a Bronx Bombers sweep?
Either way, with 70 Mets games now in the books, we know this: At 38-32, they are must-see baseball.
Their wacky June continued last night at Citi Field, as Dillon Gee shut down Baltimore and Frank Francisco survived a turbulent ninth, giving the Mets a 4-3 victory and a series sweep. The Mets’ run of shutout innings ended at 29 — the best by any major-league team this season — with Wilson Betemit’s two-run homer in the eighth, the first time a Mets opponent scored since the fifth inning of Cincinnati’s 3-1 victory last Sunday.
“I thought we played very well against a good team these last three games to get us ready for this weekend,” manager Terry Collins said. “We need a day off to catch our breaths, so we have some energy going into this weekend. We’re going to need it.”
Cincinnati swept the Mets last weekend, and that followed a stunning Mets sweep of the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. Which came after the Yankees’ sweep of the Mets at Yankee Stadium June 8-10. Got that? In their last 12 games, the Mets are 6-6 by virtue of swapping sweeps with their opponents.
“If you don’t take a game that’s close,” Collins said, “you’re going to get swept sometimes.”
The Mets now have scored 310 runs and allowed 307 on the season. They’re still overachieving slightly, from a statistical standpoint. Last night’s game could be Exhibit A for how they’re getting by.
Gee (5-5), who occupies the back end of this better-than-expected starting rotation, struck out nine in 7 1⁄3 innings of work, following up on the shutouts by R.A. Dickey Monday and Johan Santana and company Tuesday. Cleanup hitter Scott Hairston, a role player enjoying a career season at age 32, knocked a pair of doubles off Orioles starter Brian Matusz.
When Bobby Parnell relieved Gee in the eighth, he allowed the tying run to reach base when Brian Roberts singled Steve Pearce over to second. Then came good Mets fortune: J.J. Hardy was called out when he ran into his own nubber just in front of home plate — a ruling that Orioles manager Buck Showalter challenged to no avail — and Chris Davis crushed a fly ball to deep left field that Hairston caught against the wall to end the inning.
Francisco, who has pitched so well lately, walked Pearce with the bases loaded and two outs, drawing Baltimore within 4-3, before Roberts ended the game by grounding out to Jordany Valdespin at second base.
In the moments after this nail biter, Collins expressed zero concern about Francisco’s adventure and much concern about the weekend adventure awaiting the Mets.
“It’s a challenge,” Collins said. “When we were [at Yankee Stadium], we let one get away for sure. They were playing great. Our ballpark plays a little different from theirs. It’s a great challenge. Everybody’s going to have to step up.”
The Mets have Jon Niese, Chris Young and Dickey going against Andy Pettitte, Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia; Sunday’s heavyweight bout should be particularly enjoyable. You don’t want to make too much of any individual series within the marathon of a baseball season. But when the manager himself is making a big deal out of it, well, then it’s OK.
Yankees sweep? Could happen, for sure. Though Yankee Stadium does have that hitter-friendly wall in right-center field, to which Collins alluded, the Yankees are actually one game better on the road (21-13) this season than at home (20-14).
Mets sweep? Less likely, yet you wouldn’t want to write off their pitching, given how well the Mets’ arms have performed lately.
The only pattern that will stay alive, for sure, is that you will want to keep watching the Mets after this Subway Series. They’re the most interesting Mets team since they left Shea Stadium.
kdavidoff @nypost.com