The New York Mets delivered a decisive blow to the Yankees' playoff aspirations Saturday, pounding out 12 runs on six home runs to secure a dominant 12-2 victory in the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium.
The loss stalled the Yankees' four-game winning streak and highlighted recent struggles for pitcher Gerrit Cole, who surrendered multiple home runs for the second consecutive start.
Francisco Lindor ignited the Mets' offense early, launching a home run on the third pitch of the game. Luis Torrens added a two-run shot in the second inning, and Carson Benge contributed his 17th homer of the season in the third. Lindor later hit a grand slam in the eighth inning to cap the scoring.
Mets rookie lefty Zac Thornton delivered a strong performance, holding the Yankees to two runs over seven innings. Thornton, who had struggled in his previous outing, limited the Yankees to just two hits before exiting. He needed only 28 pitches to retire the first nine batters he faced.
Despite the offensive outburst from the Mets, the Yankees managed to score early. Paul Goldschmidt doubled in the fourth inning and scored on a Cody Bellinger single. Bellinger also hit a solo home run in the sixth.
Cole's outing marked another disappointing performance since his return from Tommy John surgery. He had entered the game having allowed 10 runs and five homers in his previous 18 1/3 innings. The Mets' offense continued to chip away, with Juan Soto doubling and scoring on Benge's single in the fifth, ending Cole's day. Soto later added his own solo home run in the seventh.
The Mets, who are 22-13 since the trade deadline, have now won five of their last six games. The victory prevented the Yankees from clinching their playoff berth, which they will likely do in the coming days as they remain in strong contention for their third consecutive postseason appearance.
