New York Yankees 3, New York Mets 1
NEW YORK — Carlos Rodón secured his initial victory in four starts with the New York Yankees, while the team received a boost in offense from Harrison Bader to defeat the New York Mets 3-1 on Wednesday night. This win led to a two-game split of their Subway Series.
In a remarkable performance at Yankee Stadium, Bader showcased his prowess with three hits and crossed home plate twice, executing an impressive and daring dash followed by a headfirst dive. Meanwhile, Rodón (1-3) demonstrated his pitching superiority against fellow lefty José Quintana. The Yankees’ bullpen was nothing short of sensational, with four relievers retiring all 10 batters they faced consecutively.
Sealing his 14th save in 17 opportunities, Clay Holmes delivered a strong performance in the ninth inning, granting the last-place Yankees (54-48) a four-game split of the season series against the Mets. This split result adds to the excitement of their rivalry, as they had previously shared victories in two games played at Citi Field last month.
Carlos Rodón‘s performance was pivotal, especially considering his challenging beginning with the Yankees after inking a massive $162 million, six-year contract as a free agent in December. Dealing with forearm and back injuries, the two-time All-Star had to sit out the first three-plus months of the season. Unfortunately, upon his return, he faced tough luck, recording a 7.36 ERA and losing his initial three starts.
During a road game against the Los Angeles Angels last week, a memorable incident occurred when Rodón sarcastically blew a kiss towards a fan while heading to the dugout after the second inning.
However, in the latest game, a determined and passionate Rodón put up an impressive performance, allowing just one run and four hits in 5 2/3 highly effective innings. He managed to strike out four batters and issued three walks. As he exited the mound, the sellout crowd of 46,761 Yankee fans showered him with warm appreciation, acknowledging his fantastic display on the field.
Following a 95 mph fastball from Rodón that hit him in the back, Mets’ right fielder Jeff McNeil showcased his athleticism with a couple of remarkable catches, including a leaping grab in the fifth that robbed Gleyber Torres of a potential home run.
Speaking of Torres, his first-inning single stretched his hitting streak to an impressive career-high of 15 games, making it the longest hitting streak by any Yankees player this season.
In the second inning, DJ LeMahieu drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on Harrison Bader‘s double. Anthony Volpe then walked, loading the bases with nobody out. The Yankees capitalized on this opportunity, scoring twice with the help of some outstanding baserunning.
With one out, Volpe showcased exceptional speed, making an impressive leap and outrunning third baseman Mark Vientos’ throw to secure second base on Oswald Peraza‘s RBI grounder. The swift Bader managed to score by a hair’s breadth, executing a headfirst dive on Isiah Kiner-Falefa‘s shallow sacrifice fly to right field. McNeil, who made a sliding catch, promptly popped up and delivered a powerful throw to the plate.
In the third inning, Danny Mendick’s double paved the way for Brandon Nimmo’s sacrifice fly. However, Rodón skillfully prevented any further damage by inducing a line drive to left from Pete Alonso, stranding two runners on base.
Rodón showcased his prowess again in the fifth inning, striking out Alonso with two runners on, effectively ending the threat. Despite Alonso’s impressive performance in the series opener with two homers and five RBI, he struggled in this game, going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
In the fourth inning, Bader crossed the plate once more, capitalizing on Volpe’s single, following a costly throwing error by Vientos. This extended the lead to 3-1.
Quintana (0-2) was responsible for three runs, two of which were earned, and allowed six hits over six innings in his second start for the Mets. The experienced left-hander had missed the first 3 1/2 months of the season due to rib surgery.
UP NEXT
Yankees’ ace, Gerrit Cole, sporting an impressive All-Star record with 9 wins and 2 losses and an ERA of 2.78, is set to take the mound on Friday night. The highly anticipated game marks the opener of a thrilling three-game series against the AL East-leading Baltimore.
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