Mets Dominate Yankees to Sweep Subway Series

by telcotelco · June 27, 2024

The New York Mets overpowered the New York Yankees with a decisive 12-2 victory on Wednesday night, securing a two-game Subway Series sweep at Citi Field. Francisco Alvarez led the charge, going 3 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, while Tyrone Taylor added a three-run homer.

Harrison Bader also contributed significantly for the Mets (39-39), hitting a home run and an RBI double. The Mets chased rookie pitcher Luis Gil (9-3) from the mound in the fifth inning, hammering Yankees pitching with seven homers, 21 runs, and 24 hits over the two-game series.

“As a guy that likes to talk a lot of crap, I think it’s fun,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said, expressing his enjoyment of earning city bragging rights. “I think it’s fun for the barbershop. I think it’s fun for every workplace.”

The Mets, with their 15th victory in 19 games, have climbed back to a .500 record for the first time since May 10.

“That’s not the mission, but it does feel good that we are on the right track,” Lindor said. “It’s a beautiful thing when we can all hold each other accountable, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

The Yankees, leading the AL East, have struggled, losing four consecutive series and eight of their last ten games.

“You don’t like getting your teeth kicked in. It’s been a crappy two weeks for us. But it’s part of it. We know it’s coming. Adversity’s going to hit you. We got hit with a little bit right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We have all the right pieces in there. Had a light shined on some things and we need to get better at things and we need to get it going. But full confidence that we will. We’re just in a little bit of a rough patch right now.”

Following an 87-minute rain delay in the fifth inning, Aaron Judge hit a two-run homer for the Yankees in the sixth, his 287th career home run, tying him with Bernie Williams for seventh in franchise history. Judge also joined Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to reach 30 homers before the All-Star break three times.

Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (5-3) managed to avoid early trouble, allowing only two hits in five shutout innings despite five walks. He induced three double-play grounders in the first four innings, including two from Alex Verdugo before Verdugo broke an 0-for-22 slump with a single in the sixth.

Verdugo grounded into an inning-ending double play after three consecutive walks in the first inning, marking the second consecutive night the Yankees failed to capitalize on bases-loaded opportunities with fewer than two outs.

“I asked our guys if that was the scouting report — get the bases loaded. Because it felt like it was déjà vu,” Lindor said. “But hats off to our pitching staff, being able to get out of those jams.”

Alvarez hit a two-run homer in the third inning and added an RBI double in a four-run fifth, walking and scoring three times in a perfect night at the plate.

“I like the way I feel right now,” Alvarez said.

Mark Vientos contributed two RBIs, and Lindor doubled twice as the Mets homered in their 10th straight game. They have scored at least 10 runs five times in their past 13 games after doing so only twice in their first 65 games.

“It’s a good feeling now,” said Mets rookie manager Carlos Mendoza, who previously served as Boone’s bench coach with the Yankees. “Credit to that group right there. Good players, good coaches, and they’re having fun.”

Adrian Houser pitched three scoreless innings for his first major league save.

Gil was charged with five runs, four hits, and four walks in 4 1/3 innings, losing his second consecutive start after a strong 9-0 run in his previous 11 outings.

“No one expects it to be easy,” Boone said. “I know you sail through the first couple months and obviously at a level not foreseen, really. You’re going to have bumps along the way. So we’ll kind of rally around him and keep up with him getting better. But he’ll learn from it and grow from it.”

The Mets and Yankees will meet again for two more games on July 23-24 at Yankee Stadium.

“It feels good to be playing good baseball, not just the past two nights, but a month I would say,” Lindor said. “This is what we expect.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Scott Effross (low back surgery) has been moved from Class A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for his rehab assignment.

Mets: RHP Drew Smith has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain, and RHP Ty Adcock has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. RHP Kodai Senga (right shoulder capsule strain) is scheduled to throw two innings of live batting practice against minor leaguers Thursday at Citi Field.