Yankees chase down Mets on 9/11 anniversary
Sep 11, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) and New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) embrace during the September 11 pre-game ceremonies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Judge hit two homers Saturday night, including the game-tying, two-run blast in the eighth, and Andrew Velazquez scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Javier Baez as the New York Yankees edged the host New York Mets, 8-7.
The Yankees snapped a seven-game losing streak and remained tied for the second American League wild-card spot with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays, who entered Saturday a half-game back of the Yankees, swept a doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles.
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— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 12, 2021
The loss was the fourth in six games for the Mets, who entered Saturday four games behind the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres in the race for the second NL wild card. The Mets remained five games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East by virtue of the Braves’ 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins.
The two teams stood alongside one another on the baselines in a show of New York unity during a pregame ceremony honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 11, 2021
We will always remember. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/IQ4TxmhpQX
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 11, 2021
But it didn’t take long for the teams and the sellout crowd of 43,144 — the biggest at Citi Field since 2019 — to get into the usual Subway Series spirit. Fans began trading “Let’s Go Yankees” and “Let’s Go Mets” chants as soon as Taijuan Walker walked DJ LeMahieu leading off the game.
The Yankees raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second, when Kyle Higashioka and Brett Gardner each hit two-run homers and Judge homered immediately after Gardner. The Mets immediately rallied in the bottom half, when Kevin Pillar (double), James McCann (triple) and Walker (single) delivered consecutive RBI hits against Corey Kluber.
Baez homered in the third and McCann put the Mets ahead with a two-run homer in the sixth. Pillar had an RBI single in the seventh off Clay Holmes (7-3).
Gardner singled leading off the eighth against Trevor May (7-3) — the first hit for the Yankees since Judge’s first homer. Judge followed by homering over the left field wall and Giancarlo Stanton chased May with a single. Velazquez, the pinch runner, went to second on Gleyber Torres’ two-out single and raced home when Baez overthrew Pete Alonso on a potential inning-ending double-play grounder by Luke Voit.
Aroldis Chapman allowed a pinch-hit, ground-rule double to J.D. Davis in the ninth but stranded him at third to earn his 26th save.
Walker allowed five runs on six hits and one walk in six innings while striking out eight. Kluber gave up four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six over four innings.
