For much of this game, the result seemed fairly elementary. The Mets started Max Scherzer and the Yankees started Domingo Germán. While Germán was fine in the end, with two runs allowed on five hits two walks in 4.2 innings, he’s not Max Scherzer. The Yankees had their chances against the Mets’ starter and made some hard contact, but they couldn’t break through.
Once the Yankees got through to the Amazins’ bullpen though, that is when things started to get interesting in this game. An eighth-inning rally after Scherzer left got the Yankees back into the game and saw them tie things up. The issue was that they only brought it even. After some surely to be debated bullpen decisions, the Mets won the game with a walk-off single from Starling Marte, giving them a Subway Series sweep and a 3-2 win.
While Germán got through the first inning cleanly, it didn’t take long into the second for the Mets to strike. Pete Alonso homered on the second pitch of the inning, giving the Mets the early lead.
They then added another off Germán in the third. After Tomás Nido started off the inning with a double, Germán got on the verge of getting out of the inning after getting a pop up and a strike out. However, Francisco Lindor got a single to drop in front of Matt Carpenter, whose arm is not quite good enough to prevent the run from scoring.
Germán settled down after that and got through a scoreless fourth and retired the first two batters of the fifth. He couldn’t quite get through the inning cleanly, though, walking Lindor, which would be the end of his day. Lucas Luetge replaced him and, after walking Alonso, finished off the inning.
While the Yankees could never break through against Scherzer, they eventually managed to wait him out. He ended up throwing seven scoreless inning, but with two walks and five hits, that took him up 99 pitches, after which would be the end of his day.
Buck Showalter brought David Peterson out for the eighth, and that’s when things finally started to get interesting for the Yankees. After Anthony Rizzo drew a walk on four straight pitches to start the inning, Gleyber Torres homered on pitch number five, tying things up.
The three-batter rule ensured that Peterson had to pitch to one more batter and has soon as he managed to get that out, he was removed immediately. The Yankees couldn’t add to those two runs, but they were suddenly right back in things.
With the game now back in the balance, the Yankees went aggressive and brought in Clay Holmes with Alonso and Daniel Vogelbach due up in the inning. A one-out walk and a groundout put the potential go ahead run in scoring position, but a nice play by Torres kept the run from scoring.
The Yankees had yet another chance in the ninth, but couldn’t cash in. After that, they brought in Wandy Peralta. On the very first pitch that Peralta threw, Eduardo Escobar doubled, putting the winning run in scoring position. A bunt moved the runner over to third, and Peralta then couldn’t handle a grounder that probably should’ve been the second out. Starling Marte then managed to poke through a single, giving the Mets the walk-off win.
For some different reasons than yesterday, it was another frustrating loss. The bullpen decisions in this one are probably going to lead to quite the debate. Either way, it’s over. The Yankees have mostly been pretty good at bouncing back from tough losses, and they’re going to need to show that quality again. Next up is Jameson Taillon against Brady Singer and the Royals tomorrow night in the Bronx.
Box score