Mets Video

Takahashi's scoreless start

Mets, Yankees ready for series

Yankees Video

Vazquez's scoreless start

Mets, Yankees ready for series

For the Mets, it will be a case of trying to keep a good thing going. The team has swept two straight road series and has won seven in a row overall. And on Friday, manager Jerry Manuel will hand the ball to lefty Hisanori Takahashi, and hope that he doesn't falter after pitching six scoreless frames against the Yankees and striking out five in his first career start on May 21.

"I don't know if he needs to change up," Manuel said. "Obviously when you see a guy the next time around, you hope offensively you make some adjustments. But I think Takahashi is clever, instinctive enough so if you make an adjustment, he has other things he can go to to try to keep you off-stride.

"That will be kind of the challenge for both him and the Yankees, really: who makes the adjustments and where he ends up after that."

For the Yankees, it's about dealing with a Mets team that hadn't hit its stride the last time the clubs met, but is clicking in a big way right now.

"I know they've won [seven] games in a row on the road, but I haven't really watched a lot of video on them or seen a lot of their games because we're usually playing at the same time," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Obviously, they have players that are hot. I think I read today that David Wright is leading the National League in RBIs. He's been hot. We'll worry about that tomorrow, but I know they're playing well.

"I still think the competitive nature is there because it's New York vs. New York. Maybe it will be more. I imagine it will feel different because we're at home. That's going to feel different. It seems to be an excitement that the city really loves no matter where the two teams are. It could be more [exciting] just because they're playing well and we've been playing well."

Yankees: A loaded question
With the bases loaded, the Yankees lead the Major Leagues in batting average (.429, 36-for-84), grand slams (six), RBIs (99) and walks (11). ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, catcher Jorge Posada, who hit grand slams in consecutive games on Saturday and Sunday, became the first Yankee to hit grand slams in consecutive games since Bill Dickey did it Aug. 3-4, 1937. ... Mark Teixeira will greet graduating seniors from the Harlem RBI program prior to Friday's game.

Mets: Interleague intensity
The Mets have hit 10 home runs against American League teams this year and 248 all-time during Interleague Play, the second-most among National League clubs to Philadelphia (258). The Mets have a .301 batting average (100-for-324) and a 3.00 ERA (81 innings, 27 earned runs) in Interleague action this year. ... First baseman Ike Davis ranks in the top 10 among Major League rookies in average (.266), runs (33), doubles (13), home runs (eight), RBIs (25) and walks (24).

Worth noting
Mets general manager Omar Minaya said Thursday that second baseman Luis Castillo will not return when he is eligible to come off the disabled list this weekend, noting that his second baseman is "just not ready yet." Castillo, on the disabled list since June 2 after enduring issues with both feet, has been working out in Port St. Lucie, Fla., hitting and taking ground balls, but otherwise staying off his feet as much as possible. ... Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano owns the outright Major League lead in batting average (.372). He leads all Major League second basemen in RBIs (49) and is tied for first with 14 home runs. He has reached safely in 60 of 66 games in 2010, and over his last 28 games since May 17, he's batting .425 (51-for-120) with 12 doubles, five homers and 26 RBIs. He currently has an active 10-game hitting streak.