Before first pitch, the Mets and Yankees stepped onto the field to shake hands and stand together as New York honored those lost 20 years ago on 9/11/2001. It was the first time the two teams met on the anniversary of the attacks, with Citi Field packed for the occasion.
Like the Mets and Braves did in their first game back on the field, the Mets and Yankees shook hands and shared hugs at home plate. After, the rivals stood side by side for the national anthem, before former managers Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine threw out the first pitches.
Before the game started, Citi Field was shaking, with cheers of “Lets go Yankees” met with “Lets go Mets” chants from the home crowd.
The Mets took the opening game of the series on Friday, scoring 10 runs for the 3rd time in September and 2nd time against their crosstown rivals. It was a sloppy game from the Yankees that allowed the Mets to put up 5 runs in the 3rd, while rookie Tylor Megill set career highs with 7 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts, his best start as a Met.
In Saturday’s big game, the two teams provided a much more even and entertaining contest in an instant classic. With Citi Field buzzing, the ball was flying out of the park all night. The Yankees struck first with a 5-run 2nd inning, taking All-Star Taijuan Walker deep three times.
The Mets were able to respond in the bottom half with three runs, and Walker bounced back to retire the last 13 batters to face him, keeping them in the game.
A homer by James McCann put the Mets ahead and Walker in line for the win, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead.
Despite Lugo dominating the 7th inning on seven pitches, Luis Rojas put in Trevor May, who gave up a huge 2-run homer to Aaron Judge. A third unearned run scored on a Javy Báez error and the Yankees held on to win 8-7.
In the Sunday finale, it was the Francisco Lindor show taking the stage in Queens. The flashy shortstop recorded his first ever three-home run game.
The first came in the 2nd inning, helping the Mets once again erase an early Yankees lead. The 3-run homer put the Mets ahead 4-2, but like Saturday’s game, the Mets and Yankees continued to trade runs.
As the Yankees pulled within one, Lindor hit his second of the night, a solo shot to restore the 2-run lead.
Again the Yankees got back in the game, with Giancarlo Stanton tying it up with a 2-run homer. Stanton had some words for Lindor in his home run trot, prompting the benches to briefly clear.
When he stepped up to the plate in the 8th, Lindor backed up his words and put the finishing touches on his night, hitting a game-winning solo homer for a 7-6 Mets win.
While both teams sit outside of the Wild Card game as the season winds down, this Subway Series will go down as one of the most memorable contests between the New York teams.
Now with the final weeks of the season to go, the Mets and Yankees both need to get in gear to complete their playoff pushes and make the postseason.
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