On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Mets and Yankees met for a game that seemed bigger and more impactful than it realistically should have, given each team’s current playoff position. However, the emotions were running high and, despite multiple attempts at a comeback, the Mets couldn’t claw their way back from an early deficit, losing 6-4 to their crosstown rivals.
After five straight quality starts, Nolan McLean had a bit of a rough start this evening. In the bottom of the first, the first three
batters reached first on two singles and a walk, before Spencer Jones drove in the first run on a one-out single. McLean was able to work his way through without further damage.
The Mets tied the game in the top of the second when Mark Vientos scored on a Christopher Morel groundout, but that would be the entirety of the Mets’ offense against Carlos Rodón. Aside from a third inning single by Juan Soto, the Mets didn’t muster another baserunner until the seventh.
That was not true of the Yankees, who added on as soon as the Mets tied the game. McLean got the first two outs in the second, but two straight singles by Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice put two on for Cody Bellinger, who hit a three-run home run to right-center field, putting the Yankees up 4-1.
In the fifth, Ben Rice led off the inning with a solo home run, extending the lead to four runs. McLean would be done after five, allowing ten hits and five runs while walking one and striking out five.
Carson Benge took the ball the other way for a one-out single in the top of the seventh, the first Met baserunner in four innings, and that would do it for Rodón. Old friend Paul Blackburn was first out of the Yankees’ bullpen. Blackburn walked Marcus Semien to start his evening, but induced a weak ground ball from Jared Young for a fielder’s choice, erasing Semien at second. A.J. Ewing drove in Benge with a pulled single over second base, cutting the lead to 5-2. Blackburn walked Francisco Alvarez to load the bases, and that would be it for Blackburn.
Lefty Brent Headrick was brought in to keep Lindor batting from the right side, where he has been far weaker this season. Lindor worked the count full before an extended delay was caused by an idiot running out on the field. Lindor lined the ball hard up the middle, but right into Headrick’s glove to end the inning.
Jack Weisenburger, fresh from Syracuse, pitched the sixth and seventh inning for the Mets, not allowing a baserunner and striking out both Bellinger and Aaron Judge. It was an impressive outing for Weisenburger, another one of the seemingly endless parade of arms the Mets have called up in the second half.
Soto grounded out to start the eighth, but a single by Bichette and a Vientos walk put two on with one out for Benge. Benge worked a really great at-bat and walked to load the bases. David Bednar, Yankees’ closer, was brought in to get the five out save, or at least get the Yankees through the eighth.
Semien stepped to the plate, and hit a long fly ball to center, scoring Bichette and allowing pinch runner Cristian Pache to tag up to third. It was for naught however, as Young lined out to left-center to end the inning, but the Mets brought the game within two.
Weisenburger came out for the eighth, and quickly allowed singles to Luis García Jr. and Spencer Jones, and all of a sudden things looked shaky for Weisenburger. George Lombard Jr. laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, pushing the runners to second and third with one out. Ryan McMahon dorked a ball in front of Soto, allowing a run to score and widening the Yankee lead to three. Weisenberger gout out of it with just the one run scored, but the uphill battle got a little steeper.
On the first pitch of the ninth, Ewing turned on a ball and cranked it over the short porch in left, bringing it back to a two-run game. Alvarez quickly was out on strikes, leaving it to the top of the Mets’ order to get it done. Lindor, batting from the left side for the first time in the game, dribbled a single between first and second, bringing Soto to the plate as the tying run. Bednar was feeding Soto nothing but splitters, and Soto topped over one into a game-ending 3-6-3 double play.
The Mets will look to even the series tomorrow when Zac Thornton faces Gerrit Cole at 1:35.
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What’s WPA?
Big Mets winner: Tie: Mark Vientos, Marcus Semien, and Carson Benge, +5.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Nolan McLean, -29.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: -29.0% WPA
Mets hitters: -21.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien’s second inning single, +9.2% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Cody Bellinger’s three-run dinger, -25.3% WPA
