New York — Francisco Alvarez went 3-for-3 with an early home run and three RBIs, Tyrone Taylor added three RBIs, and the revitalized New York Mets defeated the New York Yankees 12-2 on Wednesday night for their second straight win in the Subway Series. I reaped it.
Harrison Bader also drove deep for an RBI double in the fifth as the Mets (39-39) chased rookie Luis Gil (9-3). They hit seven home runs, scored 21 runs and hit 24 times against the Yankees in two nights at Citi Field.
“As someone who likes to say a lot of nonsense, I think it’s fun,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor, who enjoyed getting city bragging rights for the Mets and their fans. “I think it’s fun in a barbershop. I think it’s fun in every workplace.”
With 15 wins in 19 games, the Mets are back to .500 for the first time since they were 18-18 before losing to Atlanta on May 10.
“It’s not a mission, but it feels good to know we’re on the right path,” Lindor said. “It’s a beautiful thing that we can all hold each other accountable, and that’s what we’re doing now.”
The sluggish Yankees, who are leading the AL East, have lost four straight and eight of 10 games.
“I don’t want to get my teeth kicked in. It’s been a messy two weeks for us, but that’s part of it. I know it’s coming.” Manager Aaron Boone said. “Adversity is going to come. It’s hit me a little bit right now.”
With the Yankees trailing 7-0 in the sixth inning following an 87-minute rain delay in the fifth inning, Aaron Judge hit a two-run home run. It was his 287th home run, tying him for seventh in franchise history with Bernie Williams.
Judge also joined Mark McGwire (four times) and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to hit 30 home runs before three All-Star games.
Sean Manea (5-3) avoided early trouble, allowing just two hits and walking about five over five innings before a sellout crowd of 43,004. He induced three double plays grounders, including two by Alex Verdugo, in the first four innings, and Verdugo ended an 0-for-22 slump with a single in the sixth.
Verdugo hit an inning-ending double play after three consecutive walks in the first inning. For the second night in a row, the Yankees came up empty after loading the bases with less than two outs in the first inning.
“I asked our guys if that was the scouting report, with the bases loaded. It was like déjà vu.” Linder said. “But hats off to our pitching staff, they got us out of that mess.”
Alvarez hit a two-run home run in the third to make it 3-0 and added an RBI double with four runs in the fifth, both in opposite fields. He also walked and scored three times, capping the cycle’s lack of triples on a perfect night at the plate.
“I feel good right now,” the 22-year-old catcher said.
Mark Vientos had two RBIs and Lindor doubled the first two RBIs for the Mets, who have homered in 10 straight games. They have scored 10 or more points five times in their last 13 games after scoring just twice in their first 65 games.
“I feel good now.” said rookie manager Carlos Mendoza, who served as Boone’s bench coach with the Yankees for the past four seasons. “I appreciate that group right away. Good players, good coaches, and they’re having fun.”
Adrian Houser pitched three scoreless innings for his first major league save.
Gill allowed five runs, four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. He has lost two straight starts, including last week’s blowout loss to Baltimore, after going 9-0 in his previous 11 games.
“No one expects it to be easy,” Boone said. “I know the first few months were a bit unpredictable. There will be bumps along the way. So we’ll rally around him and continue to watch him get better. But he will learn and grow from it.”
The crosstown rivals will play two more games at Yankee Stadium on July 23-24.
“It feels good to have played good baseball, not just the last two nights, but the whole month,” Lindor said. “This is what we expect.”
trainer room
Yankees: RHP Scott Effross (back surgery) transferred his rehabilitation assignment from Class A Tampa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Mets: RHP Drew Smith was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain, and RHP Ty Adcock was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. … RHP Senga Kodai (right shoulder capsule strain) is scheduled for two innings of live batting practice against minor leaguers Thursday at Citi Field.
next
Yankees: LHP Carlos Rodon (9-4, 3.86 ERA) opens the opener of a four-game series against RHP Jose Berrios (6-6, 3.43) in last-place Toronto on Thursday night.
Mets: After a day off, LHP Jose Quintana (3-5, 4.58 ERA) faces Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (8-2, 2.34) Friday night at Citi Field. Houston won its seventh straight game and got its batting average back to .500.
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