Series Recap: Mets Take Subway Series
Photo Via: Corey SipkinAnother series, another horrific loss for the Bronx ball club. The battle for supremacy in the nation’s largest city was not completely one-sided, but only one team had multiple embarrassing moments — the Yankees. The format of the series was shifted due to a Friday night rain-out, so there was one game on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday. The Mets took the Saturday afternoon game, then came back to win the first game the next day. Nestor Cortes Jr. and Chad Green saved the weekend with a sparkling performance on Sunday Night Baseball.
Game 1 (Mets 8, Yankees 3)
Jordan Montgomery has had most of his trouble in the early innings this season, but he and Taijuan Walker traded zeroes until the 5th inning. Walker even nursed a no-hitter into the bottom of the 6th. By then, the Mets had a 8-0 lead after back-to-back rallies. The 5th inning scoring occurred on a Dominic Smith RBI single off of Montgomery, a James McCann RBI single off of Lucas Luetge, and a wild pitch by Luetge (3 runs total). The 6th inning scoring occurred on a Francisco Lindor bases-loaded walk issued by Justin Wilson, a Dominic Smith 2-RBI double also against Wilson, and a Kevin Pillar 2-RBI single off of Michael King (5 runs total).
Aaron Judge, thank goodness, lined a home run to right field that ended the no-hitter, shutout, and embarrassment to some degree.
Gio Urshela knocked in 2 runs with a single and the final score was 8-3. Michael King struck out 9 hitters in a relief performance that was nothing short of impressive.
Yankee of the Day: Michael King (3): 4 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K.
Game 2 (Mets 10, Yankees 5)
All the Yankees needed was Gerrit Cole to get them through the shortened 7-inning game without another blowup like he had last weekend in Boston. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Cole immediately got popped in the first inning a short porch shot from Dominic Smith.
The Yankees offense kept fighting and the guys you would least expect came through in the second inning. Kyle Higashioka roped a 2-run double, followed by a sacrifice fly from Tim Locastro in his first plate appearance for his childhood favorite team.
In the 3rd, Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a double play that brought a run in for the Yanks. Gerrit Cole followed it with a disaster inning that went: walk, single, walk, single (run), strikeout, single (run). Jonathan Loàisiga allowed a single and a walk and the inning ended in a 4-4 tie.
The wild pitch showed up for the Yankees once again and gave them a 5-4 lead in the 5th.
With a 1-run lead to protect in the top of the 7th, the Yankees went to Aroldis Chapman for the save opportunity. The very first batter, Pete Alonso, got a hanging, 2-strike slider and put it in the bullpen. Tie game, 5-5.
The Mets smelled blood and went for the kill in the very same inning. Lucas Luetge was brought in to try to clean up Chapman’s mess once again, and he got hit hard. The Mets scored 6 runs in the inning and blew it open.
The final score was 10-5. The Yankees of course went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 7th.
Yankee of the Day: Jonathan Loáisiga (4): 2.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K.
Game 3 (Mets 2, Yankees 4)
Nestor Cortes Jr. got his first start of the season and he really brought it. Just getting through the first inning unscathed was a breath of fresh air for Yankees fans. A scoreless second inning was even better.
Then, the Yankees offense gave him some support. Rougned Odor followed up a Luke Voit double with bunt single. Gio Urshela went the other way for a 3-run homer.
Cortes breezed through 3 shutout innings, then got Lindor out to begin the 4th. However, after a double from Dominic Smith, manager Aaron Boone had seen enough. He chose to bring in Darren O’Day to pitch to Pete Alonso. The move immediately backfired. Alonso went the opposite way himself for a 2-run homer and cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-2.
The Yankees eventually tacked on another run on — you guessed it — a wild pitch.
Chad Green took the ball in the 5th inning and no other Yankees pitcher touched a baseball again for the night. Green was flat out remarkable. He retired all 9 hitters he faced, including an immaculate inning in the 7th to end the game. It was a truly special performance out of the bullpen from a guy who even pitched in the game earlier in the very same day (albeit only 2 pitches, though he did get a hold).
So, the Yankees pulled out a victory, 4-2. The weekend still was a failure, but at least there was something positive.
Yankee of the Day: Chad Green (1): 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 6 K, W. Fourth immaculate inning in franchise history.
Series Talking Points
Not Even The Best Team In The City: The Yankees not beating the Mets hurts this time. It is one of the rare times where it truly feels like the Mets were the better all-around team. The Yanks did not even have to face deGrom and they were clearly outmatched starting-pitching-wise. George Steinbrenner would probably have been horrified even at the idea of the Mets being the best team in New York. Here, it is a reality, and Hal seems unfazed. As long as those chicken buckets keep selling during those rain delays!
Gerrit Cole Contract Is Now Scary: I never thought I would ever have to utter these words, but the Gerrit Cole contract is scaring me for the first time since he signed the $324M deal with the Yanks. Clearly, sticky substances were helping him with command and spin. If the Gerrit Cole that the Yankees get every 5th day is not ace-level, this could be really bad.
That does not mean I have given up on Cole. He is still throwing 100 mph fastballs and 90+ mph sliders. He may just need a bit of time to adjust to MLB’s idiotic decision to change the way the game is to be played in the middle of a season. But the adjustment better be made. This team cannot survive without an ace.
Three Bright Spots: Through all of the darkness that is the 2021 season, the Yankees have had three players shine bright: Chad Green, Jonathan Loáisiga, and Nestor Cortes Jr. There is nothing to really add to that. Those guys have just done their job.
Series Totals
Hitting
D.J. LeMahieu: 2 for 9 (.222 AVG), 2 BB (.364 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 4 K (.586 OPS), 0 SB
Giancarlo Stanton: 2 for 10 (.200 AVG), 0 BB (.200 OBP), 2 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 K (.400 OPS), 0 SB
Aaron Judge: 3 for 11 (.273 AVG), 0 BB (.273 OBP), 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K (.818 OPS), 0 SB
Luke Voit: 2 for 9 (.222 AVG), 0 BB, 1 HBP (.300 OBP), 2 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 K (.633 OPS), 0 SB
Gio Urshela: 3 for 9 (.333 AVG), 0 BB (.333 OBP), 1 R, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 K (1.000 OPS), 0 SB
Gleyber Torres: 0 for 4 (.000 AVG), 3 BB (.429 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.429 OPS), 0 SB
Gary Sánchez: 0 for 7 (.000 AVG), 0 BB (.000 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 3 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Brett Gardner: 0 for 6 (.000 AVG), 1 BB, 1 HBP (.250 OBP), 2 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 K (.250 OPS), 0 SB
Miguel Andújar: 0 for 5 (.000 AVG), 1 BB (.167 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.167 OPS), 0 SB
Rougned Odor: 1 for 4 (.250 AVG), 0 BB (.250 OBP), 1 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 K (.500 OPS), 0 SB
Tim Locastro: 0 for 1 (.000 AVG), 0 BB (.000 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Tyler Wade: 0 for 0 (.000 AVG), 0 BB (.000 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 K (.000 OPS), 0 SB
Kyle Higashioka: 1 for 3 (.333 AVG), 0 BB (.333 OBP), 0 R, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K (1.000 OPS), 0 SB
Pitching
Jordan Montgomery: 4.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 0 HR, 6 Ks, 6.23 ERA
Gerrit Cole: 3.1 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 1 HR, 6 Ks, 10.80 ERA
Nestor Cortes Jr.: 3.1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 4 Ks, 2.70 ERA
Michael King: 4 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 HR, 9 Ks, 0.00 ERA
Justin Wilson: 0 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 0 HR, 0 Ks, INF ERA
Darren O’Day: 0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 1 K, 13.50 ERA
Lucas Luetge: 1.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 2 Ks, 10.80 ERA
Jonathan Loáisiga: 2.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 HR, 4 Ks, 0.00 ERA
Chad Green: 3.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 HR, 6 Ks, W, 0.00 ERA
Aroldis Chapman: 0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 HR, 0 Ks, INF ERA
Wandy Peralta: No appearances.
Luis Cessa: No appearances.
Jameson Taillon: No appearances.
Domingo Germán: No appearances.