After winning two games a Citi Field last month, the Mets remained perfect in Subway Series play this season with a 3-2 win at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
The biggest blast of the night came off the bat of Jeff McNeil, as the second baseman stayed hot with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. Yankees reliever Michael Tonkin, a Met earlier this season, surrendered the tie-breaking blast.
While McNeil struggled mightily before the All-Star break, he’s been on a power trip since it ended. Four of his nine home runs have come in the second half, which is still just a few days old.
McNeil also scored in the fifth inning when Luis Gil hit Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded. Prior to that, McNeil failed to score on a 388-foot single from Tyrone Taylor. There was some confusion on the play, but McNeil made up for it with his dinger.
The Yankees’ second baseman also went deep, as Gleyber Torres homered off Jose Quintana in the second inning. That was the only run the left-hander allowed over five frames despite walking five batters. Quintana also struck out six.
The Yankees’ second run came on an opposite field double from Alex Verdugo in the sixth. However, a lineup featuring a few seldom-used bench players didn’t do enough to win.
Jahmai Jones and J.D. Davis entered the game with a combined 59 plate appearances as Yankees this season, but Aaron Boone had them hitting first and fourth, respectively. The two, playing because of Quintana’s left arm, totaled zero hits and four strikeouts before being pinch-hit for in the seventh. Davis also grounded into a double play in his first game since July 4.
The Mets, clearly sticking to a plan, walked Aaron Judge three times before facing Davis. They also intentionally walked the MVP candidate in the seventh before Ben Rice replaced Davis.
Rice hit a flyball to the warning track, but Trent Grisham, in for Jones, didn’t tag up on the out. The Yankees ultimately blew a chance to tie the game in that inning.
While the Yankees were quiet at the plate, Gil gave his team a chance to win.
The righty, leaning on his new slider more than his fastball for the second straight start, held the Mets to one run, the hit-by-pitch, over five innings. Gil also tallied four hits, one walk, six strikeouts and 91 pitches.
Now 0-3 against the Mets this season, the Yankees have one last chance at a Subway Series win on Wednesday.
Gerrit Cole will start for the pinstripers. The ace, in just his second start back from elbow inflammation, surrendered four home runs against the Mets last month.
Sean Manaea, another southpaw, will take the ball for the Mets. He blanked the Yankees for five innings despite walking just as many batters when the two teams played in Queens.
