NY Yankees, Mets: What’s ahead following first Subway Series matchup
After the Yankees took two out of three in the first Subway Series in 2025, what can they and the Mets expect before their July rematch.
NEW YORK — Throughout the first installment of the Subway Series with the two division leaders dueling for supremacy in New York, there was little margin for error.
The final two games of the weekend were tied at 2-2 entering the eighth inning. On Sunday night with the series on the line, the Mets blinked first.
With a pair of Yankees runners in scoring position on Sunday night, Pete Alonso sailed a throw to home plate and Jasson Dominguez scored. The error opened the flood gates for the Yankees to break through with a six-run eighth inning. The Mets staggered late in an 8-2 loss in front of 48,028 fans at Yankee Stadium.
“I feel like the score of this game doesn’t necessarily reflect (it),” Alonso said. “It was just a game of a couple little instances and it’s a game of inches, and I think today it came down to one play and it’s me messing that one up. I feel like if we get out of that inning, I feel like we give ourselves a good chance to win that ball game.”
In the frame, Ryne Stanek issued a walk to Dominguez and a one-out double to Austin Wells. Jorbit Vivas grinded an 11-pitch at-bat and knocked a sharp ground ball to the right side of the infield. Alonso gloved it but did not get grip on the baseball as his throw drifted high and wide.
The inning snowballed from there as Goldschmidt knocked an RBI single to run Stanek out of the game. Reliever Genesis Cabrera came on and walked Trent Grisham to load the bases. Cody Bellinger then tagged a first-pitch fastball over the right-field wall for a grand slam.
It was the Mets’ first series loss since they dropped two of three to the Cardinals in St. Louis on May 2-4. They are now 29-18 on the season.
Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos errors loom large
Alonso’s error was almost identical to a play that he converted in the Mets’ narrow 3-2 victory on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees’ J.C. Escarra had chopped a ball to the right side and Alonso threw out Dominguez in the sixth inning to sustain a 2-2 tie and set the stage for their lone victory of the series.
But it was a different story Sunday night.
“I just didn’t get my fingers on top of the baseball and it sailed,” Alonso said. “I think it was Dominguez running yesterday too on the first and third. It was legitimately the same play and today I just didn’t make it. Yeah, it’s really frustrating.”
The Mets’ defense undid another strong pitching performance Sunday night.
The Yankees struck in the first inning after Mark Vientos dropped the exchange on a slow roller from Goldschmidt in the opening at-bat. Aaron Judge put the pressure on with a double to right field and Bellinger drove in the first two runs on a sinking line drive that slipped past Alonso’s diving glove at first.
The Mets now have 24 errors on the season, including six from Vientos, two from Alonso and seven from Francisco Lindor.
“I feel like we’ve gone through stretches where it’s been pretty sharp, but also there’s a few games where we’re not finishing plays or we’re not completing them and even some of the routine plays,” Mendoza said. “We saw it today in the first inning. We can’t make a play there leading off an inning and before you know it, we’re down two.”
Mets’ luck runs out
David Peterson gave the Mets all they could have hoped for on the mound against Max Fried.
The Mets lefty matched the Yankees ace, going six innings with one earned run allowed on three hits and four walks while striking out four.
After surrendering two runs in the first inning, he walked the bases loaded in the fifth inning but induced a ground ball from Anthony Volpe to end the threat. He managed to turn in his third straight quality start.
“I thought it was a good battle. Max threw really well, so it’s always fun going into those pitcher battles,” Peterson said. “Our offense grinded as much they could and put up a really good fight.”
Huascar Brazoban continued to weather the Yankees’ pressure in the seventh inning. The righty reliever encountered another bases-loaded situation on two walks and an infield single but came back from 3-0 down to strike out Volpe on a sinker.
But the Yankees finally wore the Mets down in the eighth inning. Meanwhile, the Mets were only 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base. They went down quietly without a hit over the final four innings. Lindor came up with two runners on in the seventh after a Oswald Peraza error, but his sharp line drive nestled into Aaron Judge’s glove.
“Hopefully the next go-around in July, we’ll come out with the upper hand,” Alonso said.
Juan Soto’s return to the Bronx
The hostility for Juan Soto and the Mets won’t be quite what it was this weekend as the schedule drifts toward Boston.
Soto finished the Subway Series against his former team by going 1-for-10 with four walks, two stolen bases and two runs.
“He embraced it,” Mendoza said. “He knew what was coming and he didn’t change, even though (Sunday) was pretty much the only game that we didn’t see results. The past couple of games, he was on base half of the at-bats, a couple of walks, hitting balls over 100, you just got to give credit to their pitching staff, especially a guy like (Max) Fried today.”
What’s next for Mets after Subway Series?
It won’t get any easier for the Mets. The Red Sox will toss Garrett Crochet in the series finale on Wednesday, with Walker Buehler expected to return Tuesday. And then comes a three-game series at home with the Dodgers beginning on Friday.
“That’s really what it boils down to is playing clean, quality baseball and having good at-bats,” Alonso said.