Tonight was the second game of a three-game set between the New York Yankees and the crosstown New York Mets. After losing seven consecutive games, the Yankees hoped to preserve their first series win with a win tonight after losing four in a row. The Yankees sent Corey Kluber to the mound to face Taijuan Walker, hoping to finally right the ship. Putting sloppy play and lack of urgency behind them, they hoped to turn a new leaf and show they still hoped for a wild card berth. It was a squeaker but the Yankees pulled off the 8-7 win.
Taijuan Walker, who was once a Yankee consideration, took to the mound against DJ LeMahieu, who had a leadoff walk. Brett Gardner flew out to center. Aaron Judge struck out swinging. Then, Giancarlo Stanton singled up the middle. Anthony Rizzo tapped back to Walker for the final out. At the bottom, Jonathan Villar against Corey Kluber struck out. Francisco Lindor flew out to Stanton in left field. Michael Conforto singled in front of Judge in right field. Pete Alonso struck out to end the inning. No score.
Gleyber Torres led off the second inning by singling to left field. Gio Urshela was retired on a line drive to first. Kyle Higashioka got a two-run homer to the left-field stands for his 10th of the season. Corey Kluber ground out to first. LeMahieu singled to right. Brett Gardner got a two-run homer to center. Aaron Judge got the third homer of the inning. Giancarlo Stanton ground out to short to end the half, but the Yankees picked up five runs. At the bottom, Javier Baez walked. Jeff McNeil struck out, but Baez stole second. Kevin Pillar got an RBI double driving in the lead-off walk. James McCann tripled driving in Pillar. Taijuan Walker singled, driving Pillar. Villar struck out swinging. Lindor ground out to second. New York Yankees 5 New York Mets 3.
The third inning was led off by Rizzo, who ground out to first. Torres struck out looking. Gio Urshela struck out to end the half. At the bottom, Conforto struck out swinging. Alonso ground out to short. Baez homered to the left-field stands. McNeil ground out to second, but the Mets got another run. New York Yankees 5 New York Mets 4.
Kyle Higashioka led off the fourth inning by striking out. Kluber struck out. LeMahieu struck out to strike out the side. At the bottom, Pillar led off by striking out swinging. McCann walked. Walker bunted and was out, but the runner moved up. Villar hit a long one, but it was coraled by Judge to end the inning. Yankees 5 Mets 4.
The fifth inning was led off by Brett Gardner, who struck out. Judge ground out, and Stanton struck out. In the bottom, Lindor, against new Yankee pitcher Lucas Luetge struck out. Conforto singled to left. Alonso flew out to Judge in right. Baez lined out to third. Yankees 5 Mets 4.
Anthony Rizzo led off the sixth inning by grounding out for the eleventh put down by Walker. Torres flew out to the right-field wall. Urshela struck out. At the bottom, Mc Neil walked, with Pillar coming up, Boone brought in Chad Green. Pillar, after a delay due to balls on the field, struck out. McCann hit a homer to left, giving the Mets the one-run lead. Dominic Smith pinch-hitting for the pitcher walked. Villar struck out. Lindor flew out to Rizzo in foul territory. Mets 6 Yankees 5.
Higashioka led off the seventh inning and lined out to short. Tyler Wade pinch-hitting struck out upstairs. LeMahieu ground out. In remembrance of 9-11, the Mets had a moving rendition of “‘God Bless American.” At the bottom, Conforto went down against Clay Holmes. Alonso fouled one off his foot, delaying the game a bit, but then struck out. Baez singled on review. McNeil singled to left with Baez going to third. Pillar got a base hit to left driving in Baez. McCann ground out to short to end the inning, but the Mets tacked on another run. Mets 7 Yankees 5.
Brett Gardner led off the eighth by singling to center. Judge hit a two-run homer into the left-field stands to tie the game, his second long ball of the game. Stanton singled to right. Velazquez replaced Stanton as a pinch-runner. Rizzo faced the new Met’s pitcher Aaron Loup and flew out to right. Torres sent a rocket to Lindor that he couldn’t handle. Urshela was pinch-hit by Luke Voit, who singled to left on a failed double play by Baez as he airmailed one past first with Velazquez scoring. Higgy struck out, but the Yankees took the lead in the game. At the bottom, Guillaume pinch-hitting with Albert Abreu on the mound ground out to second. Villar ground out to Rizzo. Lindor walked. Conforto walked. Alonso flew out to Gardner in center to preserve the Yankee lead. New York Yankees 8 the Mets 7.
The ninth inning was led off by Tyler Wade, who ground out to second. LeMahieu ground out to second. Gardner struck out. At the bottom of the ninth Yankee closer, Aroldis Chapman came to the mound to face Javier Baez, who lined out on a Judge diving catch. JD Davis pinch-hitting for McNeil hit a ground-rule double that bounced into the right-field stands. Pillar was out at first with a magnificent play by Higashioka. Davis went to third. McCann flew out to Judge in right field to end the Yankees slide.
The final score was the New York Yankees 8 and the New York Mets 7. The winning pitcher was Clay Holmes the loser was Trevor May. The save went to Aroldis Chapman (26).