The New York Yankees begin a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in a Philadelphia at 6:45 P.M. EST. The Phillies are coming off a series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who the Yankees opened the second of the season against.
Now, LA is headed to Flushing, New York to face the Yankees intercity rivals, the New York Mets.
Aside from two of the three teams the Mets and Yankees faced to begin the second half, they share some similarities. A devoted fanbase, high payroll, big expectations, and a pitcher named Paul Blackburn.
The biggest difference between Blackburn on the Yankees vs. on the Mets? He actually enjoys the Yankees.
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Paul Blackburn Says Being With New York Mets Felt Like ‘Playing a Video Game’
On August 21, 2025, Paul Blackburn signed as a free agent with the New York Yankees after getting released by the New York Mets. Blackburn had an ERA of 6.85 in 23.2 and eight games with the Mets.
This season with the Yankees, Blackburn has become one of their most reliable pitchers out of the bullpen. However, with the Mets, Blackburn didn’t know what his role was.
“I had some outings out of the pen with the Mets last year, but I was never told that,” Blackburn said per Yankees beat writer Gary Phillips. “It was like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna put you in the pen this time around, [but] you might start next time around,’ so it was a lot of uncertainty. I felt like we were just playing a video game. Like that’s not how it really works.”
Ultimately, the Mets released Blackburn because of his lingering shoulder impingement and knee inflammation. Though with the Yankees, he has been able to stay in good health this season.
“When I showed up last year, I didn’t know what to expect really,” Blackburn said about joining the Yankees organization. “But I walked in, and there was a plan for me from Day 1. It just seemed like they were interested in helping me and getting me back to where everyone thought I could be.”
Blackburn is putting up a career best ERA of 2.00, 41 strikeouts, one save, an opponent batting average of .204, and a 3-1 record.
With a 0.99 ERA in 36.1 innings since May 16, no pitcher with at least 30 innings has had a better outing than Blackburn during that stretch.
Blackburn also holds the second lowest-ERA for the Yankees, behind only Brent Headrick.
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The Yankees and Mets Face Each Other Again in September to Mark the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
Normally, the New York Yankees and New York Mets face each other once a season due to their AL and NL status. However, this season, the Subway Series will played twice.
The Yankees faced the Mets at Citi Field May 15-17, where the Mets took two of three.
Beginning on September 11, the Mets and Yankees will meet again, this time in the Bronx, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City.
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