Mets 9 Yankees (Citi Field, Queens, NY)
Mets record: 38-39
Mets streak: Won 2
WP - Dedniel Nunez (1-0)
LP - Gerrit Cole (0-1)
Seat on the Korner: Mark Vientos
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Mets third baseman Mark Vientos took advantage of the spotlight tonight with two solo home runs, both against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole. The first came in the second inning, when his leadoff shot put the Mets up 2-0. Two innings later, Vientos let off with another blast, extending the lead to 4-0. Including his home run late in Sunday night's game, that made 3 straight at-bats with home runs for Vientos. He now has 9 on the season.
Need to Know
This was the 143rd Mets-Yankees game since interleague play began in 1997. The Mets are now 63-80 in the all-time series between the two teams.
David Peterson pitched well, but was unable to make it through 5 innings to get the win. He threw 103 pitches in 4.1 innings, and was removed with one out in the top of the 5th after walking two straight. Reliever Dedniel Nunez came in proceeded to induce a J.D. Davis double play on his first pitch.
The Mets have gone 10-2 in their last 12 games, and with the 9 spot tonight, they've scored 64 runs in those 10 wins.
Prior to the game, the Mets put outfielder Starling Marte on the 10-day IL with a bone bruise in his right knee. He is expected to refrain from baseball activities for the next two weeks or so, and is likely to be out for about a month. The Mets have called up veteran outfielder Ben Gamel to take his spot.
Tyrone Taylor started in right field in place of Marte and hit a 2-out bases loaded single to drive home the Mets first run. Pete Alonso was thrown out at home to end the inning.
The Mets are now 14-6 in June, or 14-4 since opening the month with two losses to the Diamondbacks.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge certainly made things interesting with an 8th-inning grand slam off reliever Reed Garrett to cut the Mets lead to 9-7. That would prove to be the last Yankees hit of the night though, as Reed got Gleyber Torres to ground out to end the inning, and then threw a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the deal.
Turning Point
Tonight we had a rare first-inning turning point. After allowing the first three Yankees batters of the game to reach base on a single (by Anthony Volpe) and two walks (Juan Soto, Aaron Judge), Mets starter David Peterson was able to escape the jam by striking out the next three hitters. Gleyber Torres K'd on three pitches, followed by Verdugo who struck out swinging on his fourth pitch. Former Mets infielder J.D. Davis struck out looking on a 2-2 fastball to end the threat and keep the game scoreless. Instead of spending the game chasing the Yankees, the Mets were able to put across a run in the bottom of the first and never look back.
Three Keys
Everybody Plays A Part
The Mets pounded out 12 hits tonight, with almost every starter having at least one. Only Pete Alonso was held hitless, and he still found a way to contribute with a 6th-inning sacrifice fly. Meanwhile, the Mets got 2 hits apiece from Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Jeff McNeil, and Harrison Bader. Perhaps more impressive, six different Mets hitters drove home at least one run tonight: Brandon Nimmo (3), Vientos (2), J.D. Martinez (1), Alonso (1), Tyrone Taylor (1), and Harrison Bader (1).
Dedniel On Arrival
Not only did Dedniel Nunez bail out David Peterson with a one-pitch double play to end the 5th inning, he went on to pitch two more innings and hold the Yankees to just 1 unearned run (albeit due to his own error). Nunez threw 2.2 innings, with 1 hit, 1 unearned run, and 2 strikeouts to earn his first major league win, lowering his ERA to 2.53 in the process.
For One Night, Cole Was A Gift
In his second start of the season due to an elbow injury, Yankees star pitcher Gerrit Cole gave up 6 runs on 7 hits with 4 walks in 4 innings. For only the second time in his career, Cole failed to strike out a single batter. Of the 7 Mets hits, 5 of them were for extra bases, including 4 for home runs by Mark Vientos (2), Harrison Bader (1), and Brandon Nimmo (1).