It wasn’t exactly Reggie Jackson facing Bob Welch in the ninth inning of game 2 of the 1978 World Series, but it was dramatic nonetheless.
Aaron Judge faced left hander Jake Diekman in the bottom of the ninth of a one run game with the tying run on first. Advantage Yankees? Not so fast. The result typified the directions these teams have taken in the past five weeks or so.
Diekman, who had posted a 12.27 ERA in the month of July coming into the confrontation, struck out Judge looking and then retired Ben Rice on a ground out to second to preserve the Mets’ 3-2 win before a sell out crowd of 47,453 at Yankee Stadium last night.
Mets Manager Carlos Mendoza, who seems to be pressing all the right buttons lately, brought in the left hander in a save situation because the usual closer, Edwin Diaz, threw a lot of pitches Monday night to preserve a win in Miami. He also saw the Yankees had two left handed hitters scheduled up in the ninth, including Juan Soto.
Diekman got Trent Grisham, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 7th, to fly out to center field for the first out. After Soto walked on four pitches, there was a meeting at the mound to decide what to do with Judge. The Yankee slugger had walked in his previous four at bats, including one intentionally, but Mendoza rolled the dice and went after the Yankees’ best hitter.
“It’s a team game, even if I went 4 for 4 today, we might not win,” Judge said when asked about being walked so much.
Diekman got ahead with a first pitch strike. After he missed with a change up, Judge swung at the third pitch and fouled it off down the right side. The count went to 2-2 and then Diekman threw a perfect pitch that caught the inside corner. Home plate umpire John Bacon called strike three and Judge was sent back to the dugout.
“Threw a heater, two changes and a heater in. The last one was spotted perfectly,” Diekman said. “I just challenged him and made quality pitches.”
The Yankees had one more chance but on the 7th pitch of the at bat, Rice grounded out to second to end it and Diekman was able to preserve the Mets’ third straight win in this year’s Subway Series.
Both teams had chances but were a combined 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position, but the Mets were able to grab the lead and hang on for dear life.
“We had some decent at bats in the big spots and even that last inning, felt like we had some good at bats,” Yankee Manager Aaron Boone said. “Diekman made some pitches when he needed to, tough one.”
Jeff McNeil, whose bat has come to life, lined a two run homer off of losing pitcher Micheal Tonkin to snap a 1-1 tie in the sixth and that proved to be the winning margin.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the second when Gleyber Torres lined his 9th home run into the short porch in right field off of Mets starter Jose Quintana.
The Yankees put two men on later in the inning but DH Jahmai Jones, who was inexplicably leading off, struck out to end the threat.
In the fourth, Anthony Volpe led off with a single and Torres walked. Alex Verdugo laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out, but Quintana struck out Carlos Narvaez and then got D.J. LeMahieu to fly out to right to nullify another threat.
The Mets tied the game in the fifth against Yankee starter Luis Gil but thanks to some questionable decisions on the bases, they should’ve have had scored more.
McNeil and Luis Torrens, who was with the Yankees Triple-A minor league affiliate at Scranton Wilkes-Barre before being purchased by the Mets, singled to put runners at first and second.
Tyrone Taylor hit a long fly ball to deep left center field. Verdugo made a valiant effort to try and haul it in but it landed on the warning track. McNeil, who should’ve gone half way, had held up thinking it was going to be caught and Torrens nearly passed him on the base paths but the end result was bases loaded with nobody out.
Gil got Harrison Bader on a short fly to right as the runners held but he hit Francisco Lindor with a pitch to force in the tying run. The rookie right hander worked out of trouble as he struck out Brandon Nimmo and got J.D. Martinez to fly out to right to end his night.
Tonkin started the sixth and gave up a bullet by Pete Alonso to left center field that went for a double. Mark Vientos’ deep fly out to center moved Alonso to third and brought McNeil to the plate.
The Yankees played the infield in but it did not matter. With the count full, McNeil fouled off two pitches and then drove a 93 MPH four seam fastball intot the Yankee bullpen for a two run homer and a 3-1 lead.
“An at bat like that, I’m trying not to do too much,”Mc Neil said. “Trying to get something I can elevate.”
McNeil has found his stroke. After a horrendous first half where he batted .216, McNeil is 6 for his last 15 with 4 home runs and 8 runs batted in.
“[I Was] Trying to take that line drive swing and guide the ball out there, instead of just seeing the ball at the plate and letting it rip,” McNeil said about his recent adjustment. “My swing path is a lot better when I’m just swinging hard, trying to drive the ball.”
The Yankees had a chance in the seventh. Grisham batted for Jones and reached when Mets reliever Dedneil Nunez dropped a throw covering first. Pete Alonso made a terrific diving stop and flipped a bit of a low throw to Nunez who should’ve made the play and was charged with an error.
Soto struck out and Judge walked but Rice batted for J.D. Davis, who was hitting clean up, and flied to deep center field. Torres ended the inning by grounding out to third baseman Vientos who stepped on the bag for the force.
The two teams are trending in opposite directions.
On June 14th, the Yankees were 50-22 while the Mets were 31-37. Since that time, the Yankees have gone 10-21 while the Mets have posted a 21-11 mark.
The Mets will go for a sweep of the four game series while the Yankees will try and save face with ace Gerrit Cole on the mound. Cole will be seeking some payback as the Mets pounded him for six runs and four home runs in four innings pitched in what was only his second start of the season in the first Subway Series game at Citifield this season.
Both teams are looking at pivotal portions of their schedule as they head to the trade deadline next Tuesday.
After the final game of this year’s Subway Series, the Mets will open a seven game home stand with four against the Braves and three against the Minnesota Twins.
The Yankees head to Boston for three with the Red Sox, who have won 13 of the last 19 meetings between the teams and then it’s off to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies, who have the best record in baseball.