Cody Bellinger delivered the biggest swing of the night Friday, hitting a three-run homer in the second inning as the New York Yankees beat the New York Mets 6-4 in a Yankees Vs Mets Game played on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Yankees also received a ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini before the game, adding to the significance of a matchup that carried both baseball and remembrance into the same night.
Bellinger provides the key blow
Bellinger’s second-inning homer gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead and set the tone for a game they needed to keep control of. It was his 37th homer of the season and the kind of damage that has made him a central part of New York’s lineup.
The Yankees had won 17 of their previous 24 games entering Friday, and the victory pushed them to 85-62. They remain three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and 5 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the first American League wild card.
Pitching and late-game context
Carlos Rodón worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits, striking out two. The Mets could not complete their four-game winning streak, which had come after a three-game sweep at Miami.
For the Yankees, the win was another step in a strong stretch as they continue to position themselves in the division and wild-card race. For the Mets, the loss halted momentum, but Saturday brings another chance to respond with Zac Thornton scheduled to start against Gerrit Cole.
On a night marked by memory and meaning, the Yankees did enough on the field to leave with a 6-4 win, and Bellinger’s bat was at the center of it.
