Mets hope Gee can pitch club to sweep of Yanks

Dillon Gee tries to pitch the New York Mets to a sweep in the Subway Series on Thursday when they close out the four-game home-and-home set at Yankee Stadium.

The Mets had lost five in a row and 20 of 27 overall entering this series, but are now on the precipice of posting a perfect season record against their crosstown rivals.

On Wednesday, Ike Davis showed signs of breaking out of his slump, as he went 2-for-5 and delivered a two-RBI single during a five-run first inning that propelled the surging Mets to a 9-4 shellacking of the Yankees.

Lucas Duda also knocked in a pair of runs with a double later on, while Marlon Byrd homered and recorded two RBI as well in the Mets' season-best fourth consecutive victory and third over the rival Yanks in as many days. The Mets posted back-to-back 2-1 decisions over the Bombers at Citi Field the previous two nights.

"Those guys are a good team over there," said Yankees first baseman Lyle Overbay. "They just haven't hit their stride. It seems like they've done that right now."

The Mets, who are 6-1 in interleague play this season, battered David Phelps (3-3) for five runs -- four earned -- on four hits and two walks before the Yankees starter was removed after only registering one out.

Counterpart Jeremy Hefner (1-5) fared considerably better, permitting three runs on nine hits and striking out five over six innings to notch his first win in 10 starts in 2013.

The Yankees have now dropped four in a row, their longest skid of the year.

"I think we know what we're capable of doing. We just haven't been swinging the bats well," Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner said. "The Mets have really had our number."

Hoping to add to those troubles on Thursday will be Gee, who is winless in his last four starts (0-2). Gee lost to Atlanta on Friday and was hit for five runs and eight hits in five innings to fall to 2-6 on the year to go along with a 6.34 ERA.

Gee lost both of his starts to the Yankees and has pitched to a 4.50 ERA in those outings.

The Yankees, meanwhile, will counter with 25-year-old lefty Vidal Nuno, who is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA. Nuno did not get a decision on Saturday against Tampa Bay, as he surrendered two runs and five hits in six innings of a 4-3 win.

Nuno has a 1.64 ERA and five strikeouts in his two starts.

"I don't think about overpowering guys, just because that's not how I pitch or anything," Nuno said. "When I do that, my ball's flat and I just kind of get hit hard and just not in the zone."

The Yankees took five of six from the Mets last season.