QUEENS, NY — Sunday’s game was always going to be challenging for the New York Mets. Their starting rotation, overrun by injuries, yielded to the bullpen and an opener, Chris Devenski, who hadn’t made a major league start in nearly six years. Their best bullpen arm, closer Edwin Diaz, had been used in three out of the club’s last four games.
In contrast to the Mets’ first-inning fireworks on Friday and Saturday — a Juan Soto two-run tying homer in the series opener and a Brandon Nimmo grand slam to open the scoring Saturday — the Yankees built up their lead over the third, fourth and fifth innings, then held the Mets at bay en route to a 6–4 win to snap their six-game skid.
It was a win the Yankees desperately needed and a loss the Mets couldn’t do much to avoid.
Mets’ pitching weakest link on bullpen day
On paper, this was the Yankees’ best chance to salvage their disastrous week.
Wells opened the scoring in the top of the third with a solo home run off of Zach Pop’s second pitch — a 96.7 mph sinker — after the righty replaced opener Chris Devenski.
Pop struggled. He lasted just 1.1 innings. He allowed five hits and three runs (all earned). Entering Sunday, he carried a 13.50 ERA in four appearances.
He allowed the Yankees to pad their lead in the fourth inning. Giancarlo Stanton led off with a double, then Cody Bellinger advanced him to third with a single. Anthony Volpe grounded into a force out at second to bring home Stanton. DJ LeMahieu reached base on a soft ground ball, moving Volpe to third. After Brandon Waddell replaced Pop, Wells grounded into a force out at second but scored Volpe for his second RBI of the afternoon as the Yankees took a 3–0 lead.
Aaron Judge put the Yankees up by five in the top of the fifth inning, crushing his 33rd home run of the season — he still trails the Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh, who has 35, for the Major League lead — to left-center field off the first pitch he saw from Waddell, an 83.4 mile-per-hour changeup. Judge homered in two of the three Subway Series games this weekend.
In the top of the seventh, Huascar Brazobán replaced Waddell. He immediately surrendered singles to Paul Goldschmidt and Trent Grisham, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Judge as the Yankees went up 6–4.
The Mets opened Sunday’s tilt with Devenski, the 34-year-old right-hander who was making his eighth career start after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday. Devenski hadn’t started a game in the majors since Aug. 13, 2019, when he was with the Houston Astros. Entering Sunday, Devenski carried a 3.38 ERA through 5.1 innings of relief, allowing four hits, two runs (both earned), five strikeouts, and a walk with the Mets this season.
Devenski pitched two innings, allowing one hit and no runs or walks. He got Judge to fly out in the top of the first inning. In the top of the second, he struck out Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu.
The Mets also used Diaz, their closer, on Saturday, despite leading by six. Manager Carlos Mendoza later defended his decision: “Once I got him hot in the eighth, I knew he was pitching.”
Mendoza was ejected in the bottom of the ninth inning after pinch hitter Luis Torrens was called out on strikes.
Mets’ middle-inning rally falls short
The Mets’ offense wasn’t helped by a lengthy review of a Soto lineout in the bottom of the seventh. Bellinger, the Yankees’ left fielder, charged the ball and reached down to make the catch. He finished the double play by throwing Lindor out on his way back to first base.
The Mets, who had trailed 5–0 two innings earlier, scratched and crawled their way back in the fifth and sixth innings, closing their deficit to 5–4.
With Nimmo on in the bottom of the sixth after being hit by a pitch, the Mets worked Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga. Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty both pinch-hit, each getting singles. With the bases loaded, Jeff McNeil scored Nimmo with an RBI single. Then, Hayden Senger grounded into a double play but scored Mauricio.
Max Fried lasts 5 innings, yielding 3 earned runs
The Yankees sent their ace to the hill Sunday in an effort to salvage the series — and their week.
Fried entered the day with a 10–2 record and a 2.13 ERA in 18 starts this season. He was tied for first in the Major Leagues in wins, winning percentage (.833) and pickoffs (seven). In 15 of his 18 starts, he’d allowed two earned runs or fewer. He’d started 11 games after a Yankees loss, in which he’d gone 8–1 with a 1.34 ERA.
Fried got off to a shaky start. In the first inning, he was called for a pitch clock violation. Then, after Starling Marte stole second base, Fried threw a wild pitch and allowed Marte to advance to third. But he held the Mets at bay by getting Pete Alonso to fly out.
He lasted five innings (plus one batter), allowing six hits, three runs (all earned), one walk and five strikeouts.
He faced another jam in the bottom of the fifth. With two runners on and one out, Fried gave up a long single to Marte to load the bases. Francisco Lindor brought home McNeil and Senger to cut the Yankees’ lead to three.
Fried got out of it by striking out Juan Soto swinging with an 86.1 mile-per-hour sweeper. Then, he got Alonso to fly out to end the inning.
Fried was removed from the game in the bottom of the sixth inning after hitting Brandon Nimmo with a pitch.
Where each team stands after series
Entering Sunday, the New York baseball teams were headed in opposite directions.
The Mets, winners of four straight, clinched their second straight series with Saturday’s 12–6 win over the Yankees. The Mets have won consecutive series for the first time since they swept the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals last month.
The Yankees entered Sunday on a six-game losing streak, which ties a season-high for the club. They were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in four games to begin the week, and dropped the first two games of the Subway Series.
But they don’t ask how. They ask how many.
