Carlos Rodon, Yankees hold off Mets for important win to open Subway Series
A game that meant a great deal to New York only meant something to one of the city’s teams in the standings. The Yankees delivered in both regards. Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.On a Friday night that began with an emotional pregame ceremony that honored all those lost 25 years ago in the Sept.
11 terror attacks, the Yankees kept pace in their division race, holding on late to beat the Mets 6-4 for their fourth straight win in front of a sellout crowd of 47,410 in The Bronx. Cody Bellinger crushed a three-run homer off Nolan McLean in the second inning that proved to be the difference, thanks in large part to a strong start from Carlos Rodón, as the Yankees (85-62) remained three games back of the Rays in the AL East with 15 games left.They also moved to 5 ¹/₂ games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card. The Mets (68-79) threatened to play spoiler, coming alive late against the Yankees bullpen to nearly come back from a 5-1 deficit before David Bednar finished off a five-out save. Ben Rice added another home run as part of a three-hit game while Luis García Jr.
chipped in three hits and some slick defense at first base to support Rodón, who struck out eight across 6 ¹/₃ innings of two-run ball. After the left-hander pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this year, Paul Blackburn relieved him and got into more trouble, letting the inherited runner score on a single by A.J.Ewing that made it 5-2 before loading the bases. But Brent Headrick bailed him out, snagging a line drive right back to him off the bat of Francisco Lindor — after a fan waving a Palestine flag ran onto the field and caused a delay — to escape the jam. Headrick then created problems for himself in the eighth, when a single and two walks — the last one a 10-pitch battle with Carson Benge — loaded the bases with one out, at which point Aaron...