Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is finally becoming more like his father, but in the best possible way. He’ll talk about his team now, but in the most tempered possible way. He’ll call out players, but only in the kindest possible way.

Frankly, after more than a decade in the top job, it’s nice to see him shedding his shell.

The younger Steinbrenner scheduled his occasionally annual talk with the Yankees’ press corps in Midtown on Tuesday, a few hours before the Subway Series started, and he made clear what’s on his mind after 67 so-so games, 38 wins, 29 losses and a third-place standing. Steinbrenner made some pointed remarks, but he stopped way short of hurling insults, and even avoided mentioning names at all, at least until prodded.

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Oswaldo Cabrera showed up to Tuesday’s Subway Series with a new accessory –– his grandmother’s tooth. 

The utilityman –– who entered the game as a right field defensive replacement for Jake Bauers during the Yankees’ 7-6 win over the Mets at Citi Field –– has his Grandma Anna’s tooth hanging from a necklace.

“My mom told me to wear it,” Cabrera told the YES Network before the game. “Whatever my mom tells me to do, I’m going to do.” 

This statement may not be all that surprising to some, though.

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When Aaron Boone analyzed Clay Holmes’ recent stretch postgame, which included two strikeouts to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning Tuesday, the Yankees manager returned — twice — to his slider and sinker working together.

Holmes used both to record his pair of strikeouts to help the Yankees win, 7-6, to open the Subway Series, and Holmes has allowed just one run since May 3, allowing 11 hits and striking out 22 batters across 18 ⅓ innings entering Tuesday's game.

“He’s been terrific of late,” Boone said. “… He’s gotten some big strikeouts — obviously in getting Lindor and Marte there with strikeouts, huge.”

Drew Smith was confused when umpires tossed him for having hands that were too sticky. His level of sweat and rosin wasn’t different than what he’d done throughout the rest of the season, and he had others inspect his hand afterward, too.

One of those people, Smith told reporters postgame, was an MLB official near the dugout. That official, Smith said, just laughed, though his position with MLB is unclear.

“I don’t think they were sticky,” Smith said, according to a clip from SNY. Obviously, they do. I’m sure they’re gonna come out with a statement saying something similar to Max’s — stickiest hands ever, or whatnot. … The MLB guy in the tunnel, I kinda forced him to feel my hands as I walked in. I just grabbed him like this and pulled, and he actually laughed and said, ‘There’s nothing there.’”

Smith was ejected in the seventh inning of the Mets' 7-6 loss to the Yankees, and he'll face an automatic 10-game suspension that'd keep them without a key reliever for the next stretch of games.

The Mets desperately need oxygen, but calling the neighbors didn’t help Tuesday.

Max Scherzer got stomped, Drew Smith is facing a suspension and the Mets’ lineup came up minuscule with a chance to steal a game in the late innings against the Yankees.

On the final count, Clay Holmes emerged as the hero, striking out Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte in succession with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, helping the Yankees hold on for a 7-6 victory in the Subway Series in front of a Citi Field sellout of 43,707.

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Oswaldo Cabrera has a special reason for why his necklace includes a tooth.

In the sixth inning, the YES broadcast revealed that it's his grandmother's tooth, which his mother told him to wear.

"He said, 'Whatever my mom tells me to do, I'm gonna do,'" YES reporter Meredith Marakovits said on the broadcast.

Cabrera entered as a defensive replacement after Josh Donaldson pinch-hit for Jake Bauers, and he struck out in his lone at-bat during the Yankees' 7-6 win.

The Mets just can't find a way to win.

After Michael King recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning, the Yankees defeated the Mets, 7-6, and handed the Mets their ninth loss in the last 10 games. They overcame a shaky start from Luis Severino, knocked Max Scherzer out with a five-run fourth inning and then used a strong bullpen performance — including Clay Holmes navigating a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth — to keep that slight advantage intact.

The Subway Series will continue Wednesday night with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole starting for the Mets and Yankees, respectively.

The Mets entered play Tuesday night in a troubling situation, losers of eight of nine.

Now, their predicament has gotten even stickier.

Reliever Drew Smith was ejected when trying to enter for the top of the seventh inning of a game the Mets were trailing, 7-6.

Facing the Yankees at Citi Field, the 29-year-old righty jogged in from the bullpen and was intercepted nearby the mound for what appeared to be a routine check.

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All the Mets needed was for Francisco Lindor or Starling Marte to put the ball in play.

They had the bases loaded and one out when Clay Holmes entered from the Yankees' bullpen, but Holmes proceeded to strike out both hitters as the Mets stranded all three runners — and still trailed, 7-6, entering the ninth inning.

Holmes, who has allowed just one run since May 6, used a slider and sinker to strike out Lindor and Marte, respectively, and he needed 16 pitches to complete both at-bats.

The Mets have quickly loaded the bases against Wandy Peralta in the eighth inning, and after Aaron Boone’s latest pitching change, Francisco Lindor will have a crucial at-bat against Clay Holmes.

Mark Canha started the inning with a five-pitch walk, and Brandon Nimmo followed with a single where Anthony Volpe couldn’t complete the play. The Yankees then had a chance to turn a double play, but Gleyber Torres couldn’t make the second throw in time.

And when Peralta hit Jeff McNeil with a pitch, Boone turned to Holmes for one of the game’s most critical situations, with the Yankees leading, 7-6.

The pitch, really, headed toward the perfect location for Tommy Pham. A changeup. A bit high.

Pham connected on Tommy Kahnle's pitch and hit it to the warning track in left field, but Billy McKinney followed the ball to the wall and made the catch — keeping the Yankees in front of the Mets, 7-6, after seven innings.

Drew Smith didn't even get to throw a pitch before being ejected.

The Mets reliever was tossed by first-base umpire Bill Miller at the start of the seventh inning after a failed sticky-stuff inspection. Smith appeared surprised at the call, as he shook his head and turned around to shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Luis Guillorme — holding out his hands for them to feel, too.

All four umpires checked Smith's hand before Miller made the ejection motion, but it didn't change the ruling. Smith will face an automatic 10-game suspension, similar to co-ace Max Scherzer earlier in the season.

It also meant that John Curtiss, trailing by one in the seventh inning, needed to quickly warm up and enter to replace Smith.