Talk about a gut punch. The Mets battled back against the Yankees on an emotional night, but couldn’t quite seal the deal, falling 6-4 to their crosstown rivals after trying multiple times to erase an early deficit. The atmosphere was charged, and despite the stakes not being as high as they perhaps felt, every swing and pitch carried weight.
McLean’s Rough Start and Yankees’ Immediate Response
Nolan McLean, who had been on a roll with five straight quality starts, ran into a wall right out of the gate. In the bottom of the first, the first three Yankees batters reached base on two singles and a walk, setting the table perfectly. Spencer Jones then drove in the first run with a one-out single, putting the Yankees up 1-0. McLean managed to work his way out of the jam without further damage, a small win in a tough inning. The Mets actually managed to tie things up in the top of the second when Mark Vientos crossed the plate on a Christopher Morel groundout against Carlos Rodón. But that tied game feeling didn’t last long, like, *at all*. McLean got two quick outs in the second, but then Anthony Volpe and Ben Rice hit back-to-back singles. You just knew something was coming. And boom, Cody Bellinger absolutely crushed a three-run homer to right-center, and suddenly it was 4-1 Yankees. McLean was in a hole he just couldn’t dig out of, giving up ten hits and five runs over five innings. And yeah, Ben Rice rubbed salt in the wound with a solo shot in the fifth, stretching that lead to 5-1. Ouch.
A Glimmer of Hope That Faded Fast
The Mets’ bats were silent for what felt like forever. After that Vientos run in the second, Juan Soto singled in the third, and that was it for baserunners until the seventh inning! Seriously? You can’t win like that. But then, Carson Benge broke the silence with a one-out single in the seventh, finally sending Carlos Rodón to the dugout. In comes old friend Paul Blackburn from the Yankees bullpen, and he promptly walked Marcus Semien. Bases moving! Jared Young hit a grounder for a fielder’s choice, taking Semien out at second. But A.J. Ewing ripped a single, driving in Benge and cutting the lead to 5-2. The energy was back! Blackburn then walked Francisco Alvarez to load the bases, and his night was done. They brought in lefty Brent Headrick to face Lindor, who’s been way weaker from the right side this season. Lindor worked a full count, and then, because of course, some idiot ran onto the field, causing an extended delay. When play resumed, Lindor absolutely smoked a line drive… right into Headrick’s glove. Just brutal. Talk about a deflating moment.
Amidst the frustration, there was a glimmer of hope. Jack Weisenburger, fresh up from Syracuse, looked absolutely fantastic, tossing two scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh. He didn’t allow a single baserunner and even punched out both Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge. What a call-up! But even that gem couldn’t change the scoreboard, as the Mets ultimately fell 6-4. This wasn’t just another game. The emotions were running high, and while the Mets showed some serious fight, they just couldn’t overcome that early hole. They’ll need to regroup fast and figure out how to get those bats consistently hot if they want to make some noise. This one stings, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Amazin’ Avenue.
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