Max Scherzer, Mets blow early four-run lead as Yankees win Subway Series opener
Max Scherzer #21 of the Mets reacts in the dugout during the fourth inning after he was removed from a game against the Yankees at Citi Field on Tuesday, June 13, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The first Subway Series game of the season on Tuesday night didn’t have the injured Aaron Judge or Pete Alonso – that’s a combined 41 home runs on the shelf --- but it had drama and excitement and controversy.
It also had a rare misplay in centerfield by Brandon Nimmo that led to the eventual winning run as the Yankees beat the Mets, 7-6, before a sellout crowd of 43,707 at Citi Field.
“One of those fun ones,” Aaron Boone said. Pretty sure the Mets would not agree.
The Yankees improved to 4-4 without Judge, who is out with a strained big toe, and overcame another poor start from Luis Severino.
The Mets lost their ninth in 10 games (1-5 since Alonso got hit on the wrist in Atlanta) and watched Max Scherzer blow a 5-1 lead when the Yankees scored five in the fourth to take a 6-5 advantage.
“I’ve got to be better tonight,” Scherzer said. “You can put the camera right on me. I’ve got to be better. We’ve all got to be better.”
The Mets re-tied the game on a Luis Guillorme RBI single in the fifth. But the crushing blow for the home team came when the normally sure-handed Nimmo saw a drive by Anthony Volpe tick off the tip of his glove in right-center for what was scored a double.
That miscue put runners on second and third, and the Yankees took a 7-6 lead on pinch hitter Josh Donaldson’s subsequent sacrifice fly.
Even though it wasn’t scored an error, Nimmo went up to his teammates in the dugout after the inning to take responsibility for the non-grab.
"I just missed it," Nimmo said. "Cost us the game."
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Wandy Peralta. But Clay Holmes struck out Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte on 3-and-2 pitches.
“It’s almost like a must – hit it,” Lindor said. “[Holmes] executed. It’s a tough one and I’ve got to continue to get better.”
Judging by the overwhelming cheers after the Ks, there may have been many more Yankees fans than Mets fans in the building.
Michael King pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save. Guillorme hit a fly ball to Isiah Kiner-Falefa in center to end it. Kiner-Falefa did a little happy hop as he made the catch.
“Just trying to have fun with it,” Kiner-Falefa said.
Oh, and Mets reliever Drew Smith was ejected after a sticky-substance check when he entered the game and before he threw a pitch in the seventh. Smith faces an automatic 10-game suspension.
“It was crazy,” Boone said of the night. “Obviously, the buzz around Mets-Yankees and you can feel that in the building. To have a lot of really cool big moments in that game, and to have everyone have a hand in it, those are fun.”
The series will conclude on Wednesday night with what is supposed to be a marquee pitching matchup: Justin Verlander against Gerrit Cole.
Giancarlo Stanton started things two batters into the game when he took an 0-and-2 slider from Scherzer 408 feet into the left-centerfield seats for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
Nimmo tied it off Severino with his eighth career leadoff homer and sixth homer of the season. Nimmo’s 428-foot blast went to the Yankees bullpen in right-center.
Severino had given up three home runs in each of his last two starts.
The Mets took a 2-1 lead later in the inning on Brett Baty’s two-out RBI single and extended it to 4-1 in the second when Jeff McNeil poked a two-out, two-run single inside third base.
One batter earlier, Severino had balked those two baserunners into scoring position. He also balked later in the inning.
In the third, Gleyber Torres booted a potential inning-ending double play ball, which led to a fifth Mets run on Mark Canha’s RBI forceout.
After Torres’ error, pitching coach Matt Blake popped out of the dugout to visit the mound. Severino waved him off with his glove and Blake went back into the dugout.
Scherzer went back out for the fourth with a 5-1 lead. What could go wrong? For the Mets, plenty.
Scherzer gave up five runs and six hits in the inning and the Yankees batted around to take a 6-5 lead.
After Anthony Rizzo led off the inning with a single, DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run homer to left to make it 5-3. It was LeMahieu’s seventh of the season.
Kiner-Falefa blooped a single to center in front of a diving Nimmo. One out later, Kyle Higashioka singled before Anthony Volpe lashed an RBI double to left.
Jake Bauers then blooped a two-run single to right-center to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead.
Scherzer, who let a 4-1 lead get away in a Mets defeat in Atlanta last Wednesday, was removed. In 3 1/3 innings, he allowed six runs and seven hits.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
