First Subway Series showdown between 1st place teams?

Yes, it's complicated, but it could happen.

A Mets win tonight over the Indians coupled with an Atlanta loss to Tampa Bay would put the Mets in first place in the National League East. The Yankees, who are tied right now with Tampa Bay for the best record in baseball, would also have to win their game tonight at Philadelphia to stay in first place in the American League East.

If all three of those things happen, the Mets and the Yankees will both be in first place tomorrow for the start of their three-game series at Yankee Stadium. And it will mark the first time since this series was started in 1997 that both teams have been in first place.

New Yorkers have come close to having two first-place teams play in the regular season. In all six of the games they played in 2006, the Mets were in first place and the Yankees were in second. In all six times they played each other in 2000, the Yankees were in first and the Mets in second.

Barbara Barker, aka meanbarb on Twitter