Yankees Power Past Mets in Subway Series, Bellinger’s Blast Decides It

The New York Yankees reminded their crosstown rivals on Friday night at Yankee Stadium why they remain the team to beat in this city. In a Subway Series showdown that felt appropriately significant given the calendar date, the Yankees dispatched the Mets 6-4 with a vintage display of power hitting and dominant pitching that should leave little doubt about who owns New York baseball.

Let’s get straight to it: Cody Bellinger was the difference maker. His three-run homer in the second inning, crushing one into right center field, essentially decided this game before the Mets could get their feet under them. That blast, his 14th of the season, came off Nolan McLean and staked the Yankees to a 5-1 lead that the Mets could never overcome. This is what separates contenders from pretenders, and the Yankees showed their credentials on Friday.

But Bellinger wasn’t working alone. Ben Rice, that emerging star in the Yankees lineup, went 3-for-4 with a solo shot of his own in the fifth inning, extending his team-leading home run total to 37. Rice is playing the kind of baseball that suggests the Yankees may have found something special down the middle of their lineup. Spencer Jones contributed an early RBI single that got things rolling, and Luis García Jr. went 3-for-4, showcasing the kind of offensive firepower that makes this Yankees team a legitimate October threat.

Rodón Masterful on the Mound

Carlos Rodón deserves substantial credit here. The left-hander was absolutely filthy on Friday, scattering just three hits over 6.1 innings while punching out eight Mets batters. Only one run crossed against him, a Christopher Morel groundout in the second that plated Mark Vientos. That’s the kind of dominant starting pitching that wins championships, and Rodón looked completely in command against a Mets lineup that couldn’t quite get anything going.

David Bednar came out of the bullpen for the save, and while he allowed a pair of hits and an earned run in 1.2 innings of work, he got the job done when it mattered. The Yankees’ pitching staff was simply superior on this night.

Mets Make Late Push, Fall Short

To be fair to the Mets, they didn’t roll over. A.J. Ewing had a respectable evening with two hits and two RBIs, including a solo home run in the ninth that made things slightly interesting. But by then, the Yankees had already put the game away. Marcus Semien added an eighth-inning sacrifice fly that scored another run, and the Mets’ offense simply never found a rhythm against Rodón and company.

Nolan McLean struggled for the Mets, giving up five earned runs on ten hits in just five innings. You cannot beat a team like the Yankees by allowing that kind of offensive production early. The Mets had chances, they scratched out some runs late, but they were chasing from the second inning forward.

On a Friday heavy with remembrance and emotion at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees delivered the kind of performance their fans needed to see. This team looks built for October, and they showed it against their city rivals. The Mets, meanwhile, still have work to do if they want to be taken seriously as a threat come playoff time.