The New York Yankees secured a crucial 6-4 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night, opening the Subway Series with a win that bolstered their postseason aspirations. The game, played in front of a sellout crowd of 47,410 at Yankee Stadium, was preceded by an emotional ceremony honoring the victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks 25 years prior.
Carlos Rodón delivered a strong performance on the mound, striking out eight batters over 6 1/3 innings and allowing two runs. His effort was bolstered by a decisive three-run homer from Cody Bellinger in the second inning, which gave the Yankees a lead they would not relinquish. Ben Rice also contributed with a home run and three hits, while Luis García Jr. added three hits and solid defense at first base.
The Yankees (85-62) remain three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East with 15 games left in the regular season. They also extended their lead to 5 ½ games over the Boston Red Sox for the top AL wild card spot. The Mets (68-79) attempted a late rally, narrowing a 5-1 deficit against the Yankees' bullpen before closer David Bednar secured a five-out save.
Nolan McLean, the Mets' starting pitcher, surrendered five runs on a career-high 10 hits over five innings. The Yankees opened the scoring in the first inning when Spencer Jones singled to give them a 1-0 lead. However, the Mets tied the game in the second inning following an error in the Yankees' outfield.
Bellinger's home run in the bottom of the second inning, his first since returning from Triple-A, gave the Yankees a 4-1 advantage. Bellinger's father, Clay, was a member of the Yankees in 2001 and later became a firefighter.
Ryan McMahon added an RBI single for the Yankees in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 6-3. The Mets managed to score a run in the ninth inning on a leadoff home run by A.J. Ewing off Bednar, but the Yankees closer closed out the game by inducing a double play from former Yankee Juan Soto.
The Yankees' bullpen faced some pressure in the later innings. Paul Blackburn relieved Rodón in the seventh and allowed an inherited runner to score, bringing the Mets closer. A line drive off the bat of Francisco Lindor was snagged by pitcher Brent Headrick to end the inning, with a fan briefly running onto the field during the play. In the eighth, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out before Bednar entered the game, allowing only one run via a sacrifice fly before ending the inning.