Mets missed opportunity to inject Luis Severino's momentum into Subway Series

Sorry, but ... how is Luis Severino not starting for the Mets against the Yankees in the Subway Series? Remember when Buck Showalter did all he could to make certain that, come hell or high water, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer would be involved in all his Yankees throwdowns? Guess the Mets are on such a heater right now that sticking it to their crosstown rivals with rotation manipulation isn't atop their wishlist.

Anyway ... Severino, the self-proclaimed "worst pitcher in baseball" last year with the Yanks, is scorching hot on fire, saving his best for the game immediately preceding this year's first Yankees-Mets throwdown.

The Mets are Grimace-ing while the Yankees are just grimacing, and the Metropolitans' peak came at Wrigley Field in Chicago, where they responded to a tough loss against the Rangers with a Friday night outburst and a Sunday masterpiece from Severino, taking yet another series in June. Edwin Diaz suspension aside, the story of the night was Sevy, who roared old-school with six shutty on three hits, accompanied by 10 strikeouts.

Former Yankees righty Luis Severino Sevy Screamed his way into the Subway Series

Want to know something odd about Severino's comeback season? He's accomplished it mostly by pitching to contact, striking out a glaringly low 71 men in 90 1/3 innings overall. That's not the Sevy we know. That's a different guy entirely.

That could be seen as a cry for regression, but Sunday night's contest offered a different theory. Clearly, the familiar beast Yankee fans got to know in 2017 and 2018 is still in there somewhere. Maybe he's just warming up.

Regardless, it'll be David Peterson and Sean Manaea on the mound for the Mets against Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil for this two-game set. Could still go very well for New York's Hottest Club. Could go sideways. Either way, surprised there wasn't a troll factor at play, though Severino screaming Sunday night gave the Mets a good deal of momentum heading into the curtain rising.