Wheeler deals into 7th in duel with Yankees

NEW YORK -- Given that the Yankees were in Queens on Tuesday, making the short trip over the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, it was hardly unusual to see members of their scouting department flitting about Citi Field. Still, their purpose seemed more pointed than usual. The Yankees, who are in first place and almost certainly headed to the playoffs, need starting pitching. The Mets, who are in fourth place and almost certainly not headed for October baseball, are one of only a few non-contenders with quality starters to sell.

There may not be a better right-handed pitcher available than Zack Wheeler, who appears to be settling into the same type of groove that he did in the second half of last season. Although Wheeler took a no-decision in the Mets' 4-2 victory over the Yankees, which Michael Conforto won with a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth, he delivered a third consecutive quality start. Holding the Yankees to just two runs over 6 1/3 innings, Wheeler lowered his ERA to 1.86 over his last three outings.

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It’s reminiscent of what Wheeler did last year, going 10-1 with a 1.96 ERA over his final 12 starts to establish himself as one of baseball’s most reliable pitchers. A poor start to 2019 may have hurt Wheeler’s stock, but he’s correcting it just in time for the July 31 Trade Deadline.

“I can’t tell you how many years my name’s been in trade talks, so I’m kind of used to it right now,” Wheeler said. “But it never gets easy. You try to just keep your mind where it’s at, and I think the past has sort of helped me say, ‘Whatever, it is what it is. I’m just going to go out there and pitch, and help this team.’”

Tuesday, Wheeler did precisely that. The only runs he allowed came home in the second, when he gave up three consecutive singles to open the inning. Two batters later, James Paxton laid down a sacrifice bunt that both Wheeler and catcher Wilson Ramos tried to field. With nobody covering home, Edwin Encarnacion sprinted past Ramos to plate the Yankees’ second run.

Wheeler retired 15 of the final 17 batters he faced and the Mets’ bullpen held from there. That allowed the Mets to tie the game when J.D. Davis, who had homered in the sixth to provide the only run off Paxton, doubled home Pete Alonso in the eighth. Mired in a 1-for-24 slump, Conforto followed with a double into the left-center-field gap to give the Mets their first lead, and half an inning later, Ramos juggled and caught a Brett Gardner foul tip to end the game.

“He’s capable of that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Wheeler’s performance. “I thought his splitter-change was really effective, obviously the fastball. ... He was good, he was filling up the strike zone. And we know he’s capable of that when he’s on his game.”

The league knows that, too, which is why Wheeler figures to be so coveted in the coming weeks. The Yankees aren’t alone in craving starting pitching; the Braves, Twins and others could also use an arm, and Wheeler figures to be near the top of their lists. The Yankees could be most aggressive, though, giving the Mets reason to overcome their reticence in talking trade with their interborough rivals. Not since 2004 have those two teams swapped Major League players, when Mike Stanton went to the Yankees and Felix Heredia to the Mets.

So maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t. In either case, the rumors are nothing new for Wheeler, whom the Mets nearly sent with Wilmer Flores to the Brewers in 2015. That deal fell through over medical issues, but Wheeler was at the center of trade rumors during last year’s Deadline push. The difference now is that Wheeler can become a free agent at the end of this season, increasing the Mets’ motivation to trade him.

They know that. Wheeler knows that. The Yankees and other contenders know that. But for now, all Wheeler can do is pitch.

“My mind’s right here, right now,” Wheeler said. “I’m trying to help this team win. That’s all I’m really worried about. The rest will take care of itself.”