New York @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2012 ) NY Mets 4, NY Yankees 5

No team in baseball has been hotter this month than the Yankees, who won 10 in a row and 14 of 16 before dropping a pair against Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their torrid play has enabled them to build a 2 1/2-game lead in the tightly-packed American League East. The Mets have been up and down, getting swept by the Yankees and Cincinnati but responding to those respective skids by sweeping Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

The Mets were a consensus pick to finish at the bottom of a loaded National League East - but the club has surprised, hanging three games back of division leader Washington thanks to solid hitting from the likes of third baseman David Wright, who is batting .358. The Yankees have been their usual hard-hitting selves offensively, leading the major leagues with 105 home runs in 68 games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, YES, SNY (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH Andy Pettitte (3-2, 2.77 ERA) vs. Mets LH Jonathon Niese (4-3, 3.82)

The 40-year-old Pettitte has been surprisingly effective since returning to the major leagues in mid-May, turning in quality starts in five of his last six games. He has given up just four earned runs over 20 1/3 innings in his last three starts, including a no-decision against the Mets on June 10 (6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K). Pettitte has faced the Mets 20 times, going 8-5 with a 3.66 ERA.

Niese went two starts without allowing an earned run — including seven innings against Pettitte and the Yankees on June 10 (7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) — before giving up four in a loss to Cincinnati in his last trip to the mound. He is still looking for his first win over the Yankees despite posting a 2.08 ERA in his previous two starts against them.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees hitters are 20-for-65 (.308) against Niese. 2B Robinson Cano (4-for-6, 2B, RBI) and IF Eduardo Nunez (3-for-3, 2B) have had the most success.

2. The Mets are a combined 22-for-69 (.319) against Pettitte, led by 3B David Wright (11-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBIs, 2 BB) and OF Scott Hairston (6-for-15, 3 2B, HR, 2 RBIs).

3. The Yankees have won eight of the last 10 head-to-head meetings, taking two of three in each three-game set last season.