Steve Phillips breaks down the Subway Series

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

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Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

that strikeout to end the 2006 NLCS. “If he strikes out taking a curveball, then maybe it’s just the stadium or the borough,” Phillips said. Chris Young might play an outfield spot against Matz.

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

Saturday: Michael Pineda (10-8, 4.25) vs. Noah Syndergaard (8-6, 3.20)

Sunday: CC Sabathia (4-9, 4.93) vs. Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.88)

“After Tanaka it is no match,” Phillips said of the Mets’ advantage in starting pitching. “Right now Pineda, every time he makes a mistake, it’s over the plate and up in the zone, they’re hitting it out of the ballpark. CC struggled against righthanders [hitters]. You’re going to have to face David Wright, and Cespedes and [Juan] Uribe.”

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

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Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

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Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac

Throw out the notion of bragging rights when the Yankees and Mets meet at Citi Field starting Friday night in a three-game interleague series.

“This is about playoffs for the Yankees,” said Steve Phillips, the Mets general manager when the teams met in the 2000 World Series, “and the Mets want to get home-field advantage [in the NLDS] so, yeah, there are bigger fish to fry than bragging rights right now.”

The NL East-leading Mets, who have lost their last two games, entered Thursday with a suddenly not so cozy 7 1/2-game lead over the Nationals, while the Yankees were three games behind the AL East-leading Blue Jays.

“I would definitely give the edge to the Mets,” Phillips said, “and yet the Yankees are desperate for wins to keep pace with the Blue Jays.” And with no designated hitter in the National League ballpark, it appears Alex Rodriguez, who leads the Yankees with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs, will be reduced to pinch hitting.

Phillips, host of an MLB Network show on satellite radio, assisted in a breakdown of this weekend’s lineups.