New York Yankees 3, New York Mets 9
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso showcased his prowess by hitting two home runs and driving in a season-high five runs, complemented by Justin Verlander’s six shutout innings on the mound. In the Subway Series opener on Tuesday night, the New York Mets outperformed the New York Yankees with a convincing 9-3 victory.
Amidst the Mets’ disappointing season (47-53), Jeff McNeil displayed his value with three RBI, while Francisco Lindor contributed significantly with three hits and three runs. The team is desperately hoping for a strong showing this week to convince ownership not to sell at the upcoming August 1 trade deadline.
Alonso and Daniel Vogelbach started the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs against Domingo Germán, who has struggled since throwing the 24th perfect game in major league history on June 28 at Oakland. This loss marked Germán’s 0-2 record in four starts following that remarkable achievement.
Despite striking out nine batters in a six-inning performance at Yankee Stadium, Germán (5-7) couldn’t avoid being hit hard, giving up three homers and seven hits. In the seventh inning, McNeil’s single drove in a run, extending the lead to 7-0 after a costly throwing error committed by rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe.
At the age of 40, Verlander (5-5) showed his mastery, allowing only two hits throughout the game. Despite striking out six batters, he also issued four walks, three of which were given to DJ LeMahieu. Impressively, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has maintained an unbeaten record of 5-0 in his last eight regular-season starts against the Yankees.
After throwing 98 pitches, Verlander was taken out of the game, and the task of securing the next four outs fell upon three relievers. In the eighth inning, David Robertson took the mound with the bases loaded and efficiently secured two quick outs, preserving New York’s lead of 7-3 as they headed into the ninth inning.
McNeil’s clutch two-run double extended the lead to 9-3, and with the support of a sellout crowd of 46,540, Adam Ottavino confidently closed out the game.
The action started with a bang as Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a double and quickly crossed the plate when Alonso’s two-out pop fly found a soft landing in shallow left-center, resulting in an RBI single.
On a challenging 0-2 pitch in the third inning, Alonso showcased his power by launching a three-run homer. The momentum for this two-out rally began when Lindor managed a bloop double, and McNeil patiently earned a walk. Notably, this homer marked Alonso’s first in 13 games since July 6, representing his longest drought of the season. However, the slugger’s fortunes seemed to have turned around recently, as he went 5 for 11 during the weekend series in Boston after a prolonged slump.
In the sixth inning, Alonso unleashed a powerful hit to center field, securing his 16th career multi-homer game, which also happened to be his second such feat this year.
UP NEXT
The Yankees will turn to left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón (0-3, 7.36 ERA), who is eager to secure his first win in four starts with the team. The Yankees made a significant investment in Rodón last December, signing him to a lucrative $162 million, six-year contract as a free agent. Unfortunately, his start to the season was hindered by forearm and back injuries, causing him to miss the first three-plus months. Now, he aims to make a strong impact and prove his worth on the mound for the Yankees.
