A look at whats happening all around the majors Friday:---ALL-STAR SHOWDOWNStephen Strasburg (11-0, 2.71) leads the Nationals against Noah Syndergaard (9-3, 2.41) and the Mets in a battle of All-Stars and NL Cy Young Award contenders. Strasburg left after 6 2/3 hitless innings against Cincinnati because of his pitch count last time out, a precaution in Strasburgs first start since an upper back strain put him on the DL. Syndergaard dominated the Cubs in his last outing, allowing a run over seven innings in a 14-3 victory. Its the first time Syndergaard will face Strasburg.ACE DOWNThe Mets are awaiting a big decision on Matt Harvey -- will he require season-ending surgery to address symptoms consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome? The diagnosis has jeopardized the careers of other major league pitchers, and Harvey has complained about having common symptoms this week, including numbness in the fingers and shoulder discomfort. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson expects a decision on surgery to be made in the next few days before the All-Star break.CARPENTER TO DLThe Cardinals continue their pursuit of the Cubs when they start a three-game series in Milwaukee, but theyll do it without star Matt Carpenter. The infielder went on the disabled list Thursday with a strained right oblique, and St. Louis is not setting a timetable for his return. Carpenter is hitting .298 with 14 home runs and is ranked 12th in the majors with 3.4 wins above replacement entering Thursday, per Fangraphs. Kolten Wong is expected to be Carpenters primary replacement at second base.CONTROLLING THE CENTRALThe Cubs get one more chance to pad their lead in the NL Central before the All-Star break when they begin a three-game series against the Pirates. Ace Jake Arrieta (12-3, 2.33) looks to rebound in the opener after allowing nine runs over his last 10 1/3 innings spanning two starts. Chicago entered its game Thursday night with an 8 1/2-game lead over St. Louis in the Central standings, with Pittsburgh nine games back in third.HAMELS GETS TWINS AGAINCole Hamels (9-2, 2.93) tries for a bounce-back performance when the Rangers host the Twins. Minnesota tagged the left-hander for five runs in four innings last Sunday, ending a four-start winning streak for Hamels. Kyle Gibson (2-5, 4.82) pitches for the Twins. Jose Quintana Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Kendall Graveman Cubs Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-ian-happ-jersey/ . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Kris Bryant Cubs Jersey . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Kyle Hendricks Jersey . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson needed only three innings of playing time to do all sorts of damage.Granderson came off the bench and homered twice, Jose Reyes had four hits and the surging New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-4 on Tuesday night.Asdrubal Cabrera added to his recent tear at the plate, hitting a two-run homer after missing one start with a sore knee. Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo (2-2) gave up two runs in the first inning but recovered nicely as the Mets won for the eighth time in 10 games.Were playing good baseball. We just need to play consistently right through September, Reyes said.By taking the first two games of the four-game series, the defending NL champions moved ahead of slumping Miami for second place in the NL East. New York (68-64) remained 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the leagues second wild card.I think it helps having a little bit of pressure, Lugo said. Its a little easier when theres something on the line. Gives you focus.Looking to spark a scuffling offense, Marlins manager Don Mattingly shuffled his 2-3-4 hitters. It worked right off the bat, with Christian Yelich hitting a two-run homer in his first career plate appearance batting cleanup.It was Miamis first home run in eight games, but that was all for the Marlins until J.T. Realmuto hit a solo homer off Jim Henderson in the ninth. Jeff Francoeur tripled with two outs and scored on Dee Gordons single before Jeurys Familia struck out Marcell Ozuna for his major league-leading 43rd save in 46 chances.Familia matched his 2015 total and again tied the franchise record for one season, first set by Armando Benitez in 2001. Seven of Familias saves this year have come against Miami -- most for any major league reliever versus one team.New York has won nine of the past 12 meetings this season.Miami has dropped four straight and six of eight overall.We cant try to fix it overnight. Its not going to work that way. Weve just got to play good ball, starter Tom Koehler said.Granderson, batting for Lugo, connected against Koehler (9-10) for his second career pinch-hit homer leading off the sixth, extending the Mets lead to 4-2 with the clubs ninth pinch-hit homer this season.Alejandro De Aza added an RBI single later in the inning off Dustin McGowan.Granderson, who stayed in to play right field, launched a two-run shot in the seventh.Its tough to pinch-hit in any situation, he said. Not an easy task by any means.Reyes singled leading off the first and Cabrera went deep on the next pitch. It was the 17th home run this season and fourth iin 11 at-bats for the reigning NL player of the week.dddddddddddd He is batting .447 with four doubles and 11 RBI in 11 games since coming off the disabled list Aug. 19.Reyes and Cabrera got on base seven times in 10 combined plate appearances from the top two spots in the lineup.Slumping slugger Jay Bruce, who started over Granderson, doubled and scored on a two-out single by Wilmer Flores that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead.Before the game, manager Terry Collins said he thinks De Aza is the teams best option in center field right now. Bruce and Granderson, both with All-Star track records, have been sharing time in right as each tries to get going at the plate.Ive commissioned the commissioners office to give us a rover. They havent OKd that yet, Collins joked. So were going to do the best we can. But I think both of them are everyday players. We just dont have everyday spots.Lugo went six innings and retired the final eight batters he faced in his third major league start. He has won the past two.Struggling reliever Hansel Robles followed Lugo with two scoreless innings.LIKE A HAWKScott Hairston (2011) and Hawk Taylor (1964) were the only other Mets players to homer twice in a game they didnt start.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: LHP Adam Conley (finger tendinitis) began a throwing program in Florida. It could take him about three weeks to return, Mattingly said.Mets: Rookie LHP Steven Matz (shoulder) is not ready to come off the disabled list and was scratched from his scheduled start Thursday night. Jacob deGrom will be moved up a day to start for Matz in the finale of the four-game series, Collins said. ... 2B Neil Walker sat out his third straight game with a stiff back.VEGAS, BABYThe Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League will remain the Mets Triple-A affiliate for at least two more years. The teams announced an extension of their player development contract through the 2018 season. Well aware of how inconvenient its been at times to have players travel across the country on red-eye flights when they get promoted to the big leagues, Collins sounded unenthused. The only thing thats good about it is theres enough flights out of Vegas late at night, he said. That situation is what it is, and I dont have anything else to say except we hope that those flights keep going.UP NEXTMarlins RHP David Phelps (7-6, 2.52 ERA) starts Wednesday night against 43-year-old RHP Bartolo Colon (12-7, 3.44 ERA). ' ' '