Today, after a postponement last night, the New York Yankees faced their cross-town rival New York Mets at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx for the first game of three-game 4th of July weekend in series. Both teams had been struggling recently, going 4-6 in their last tens games. The Yankees are 9.5 games behind the East-leading Boston Red Sox that won their game last night against the Athletics. The Mets were in first place in the NL East. Best friends Gio Urshela and Francisco Lindor played in their first game together this season. The Yankees lost the game 8-3.
The postponement messed up the pitching rotation for the Yankees. Last night’s starter Jordan Montgomery started today’s game. Gerrit Cole was moved up to pitch in one of the day-night doubleheaders caused by the postponement. The other Sunday game will be pitched by either Nestor Cortes Jr. or Michael King.
To open the game, Jordan Montgomery faced the Met’s Brandon Mimmo, who got a base hit over the head of the jumping DJ LeMahieu. Francisco Lindor singled. Dominic Smith, the Met’s best hitter, struck out swinging. Pete Alonso flew out to a charging Brett Gardner. James McCann made the final out of the half. DJ LaMahieu led off against Taijuan Walker and ground out to second. Aaron Judge flew out to right field. Gary Sanchez went down looking for a 1-2-3 half for Walker.
The second inning was led off by Michael Conforto, who ground out to Voit at first. Kevin Pillar flew out to dueling players caught by Aaron Judge. Jeff McNeil walked. Jose Peraza struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton led off the bottom by going down looking. Luke Voit popped out to second. Gleyber Torres walked. Gio Urshela went down looking for another quick inning for Walker. No score.
The top of the third saw the top of the lineup for the Mets. Nimmo flew out to Andujar in left field. Lindor blast one to left, Andujar fired in, keeping him with a single. Smith singled, and Lindor chose not to challenge Judge’s arm and stopped at second. Alonso at the plate Sanchez booted the ball with Lindor going to third. Alonso struck out on a Monty fastball. McCann went down looking, and Monty got out of a jam. At the bottom, Miguel Andujar led off and ground out to first. Brett Gardner hit a long one to left, but Pillar ran it down. LeMahieu worked a walk. Judge flew out to right for another scoreless inning for both teams.
At the top of the fourth, with Monty on the mound, he faced Conforto, who struck out. Pillar flew out to Gardner in center. McNeil flew out to short for a 1-2-3 inning for Montgomery. Sanchez at the bottom flew out to right. Stanton went down on strikes for the second time in the game. Voit lined out to third base for another scoreless inning as both teams struggle to hit the ball.
Jose Peraza led off the fifth by flying out to Gardner near the warning track. Nimmo singled up the middle. Lindor singled in front of Gardner, moving Nimmo to second. Smith got an outfield single driving in the first Mets run. Alonso walked, ending Montgomery’s start. Lucas Luetge came in with the bases loaded, facing McCann, who had a broken-bat single scoring another Met’s run. Conforto, with the bases, still loaded, flew out to left. Smith scored on another passed ball by Sanchez. Pillar ground out, but the Mets went ahead by three runs.
At the bottom, Torres led off and reached first on an E5. Urshela flew out to the warning track in right. Andujar popped to the infield. Gardner hit to left, but for the second time in a row, Pillar robbed him from a big hit. New York Mets 3 New York Yankees 0, and hitless.
The sixth inning saw Justin Wilson on the mound facing McNeil, who got a base hit to no man’s land in left-center. Peraza singled, making it first and second with no outs for the Mets. Nimmo singled, loading the bases for Lindor, who walked in a run. Smith doubled, driving in two more runs as the Mets poured it on. Alonso faced new Yankee pitcher Micheal King and with two on and still no outs, he struck out. McCann went down swinging. Conforto walked to re-load the bases with two outs. Pillar finally ended the half flying out to Andujar, but the Mets picked up five runs in the inning. Every Mets player came to the plate in the inning.
The bottom of the sixth was led off by LeMahieu, who struck out looking. Judge got the first hit for the Yankees, a homer into the short porch in right. Sanchez flew out to right-center. Stanton singled for the second Yankee hit. Walker did his job allowing only two Yankee hits. Luke Voit faced the new Met’s pitcher Miguel Castro and walked on a hit by pitch. Torres walked to load the bases with Yankees. Urshela hit a two-run single driving in Stanton and Voit. Castro was taken out of the game and replaced by Jeurys Familia facing Andujar, who struck out, but the Yankees scored three runs in the inning. Mets 8 New York Yankees 3.
Jose Peraza, with King still on the mound, singled beyond short. Nimmo ground out. Lindor was called out on strikes, and Smith struck out swinging. Brett Gardner led off the bottom of the seventh by grounding out. LeMahieu struck out. Judge went down on strikes. Mets 8 New York Yankees 3.
To start the eighth inning, Alonso struck out. McCann reached on a throwing error by Gleyber Torres. Conforto went down looking. Pillar flew out to Voit in foul territory. At the bottom Gary Sanchez led off against new pitcher Drew Smith; he flew out to right. Stanton popped back to the catcher. Voit stuck out swinging to end the inning. Mets 8 Yankees 3.
McNeil led off the top of the ninth with Michael King still on the mound for the Yankees singled to the opposite field. Peraza went down on strikes for King’s seventh strikeout in relief. Nimmo struck out. Lindor also struck out for King’s ninth strikeout in four innings. With last licks on the line for the New York Yankees, Gleyber Torres lined out to right. Gio Urshela went down swinging. Miguel Andujar ground out to second to end the game and the Yankees sixth loss in their last seven games.
The final score was the New York Mets 8 and the New York Yankees 3. The winning pitcher was Taijuan Walker and the loser Jordan Montgomery.