The Subway Series rolls on Saturday afternoon, and both teams are back under the Bronx lights after a Friday opener that belonged to the Yankees. The Mets dropped a 6-4 decision in the first game of the set, ending their four-game win streak and leaving them with a quick turnaround at Yankee Stadium.
First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m., with the matchup carrying the same edge even after the emotional backdrop of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday night. New York’s split crowd gets another chapter in the rivalry, and the Mets are looking for a cleaner showing this time around.
Zac Thornton gets the ball for the Mets, and it will be his first crack at the rivalry. The rookie left-hander comes in at 3-5 with a 3.53 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 13 career starts. His last outing was rough: six earned runs allowed on seven hits, with four of those hits leaving the yard against the Giants.
The Yankees counter with Gerrit Cole, a familiar veteran presence in a big spot. Cole is 8-8 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 113 strikeouts in 111 innings. He took the loss in his most recent start against the Padres after giving up four earned runs over seven innings.
Friday’s loss stung for the Mets partly because of what happened on the mound. Nolan McLean was hit for five earned runs and a career-high 10 hits in his first appearance against the Yankees, and the offense couldn’t fully cover the damage.
Saturday’s game will air on SNY and YES, and it can be streamed on MLB.TV.
In Other News...
Mets Yankees Game Took A Disturbing Turn Fans Wont Forget
A Subway Series night at Yankee Stadium already carried unusual weight, landing on the 25th anniversary of September 11. Then the game was interrupted when a fan ran onto the field carrying a Palestinian flag and wearing a No Kings jersey, turning what should have been a routine September matchup into a tense scene in front of a packed crowd.
Security quickly tackled the man, later identified as 38-year-old Kelly Marcucci, and he was charged with trespassing and a local ordinance violation. The delay was brief, but the moment lingered after play resumed, with the crowd reacting in chants as the game moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Spent This Rivalry Night Chasing An Early Mistake
The Mets spent a rivalry night trying to climb out of an early hole in the Bronx, with the Yankees building their edge behind a steady start from Carlos Rodn and a rough outing from Nolan McLean. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the game had the kind of back-and-forth feel that can turn tense quickly, but New Yorks side of the scoreboard was chasing from the start after McLean was tagged for five runs over five innings.
A late push gave the Mets a chance to make things interesting, and they kept pressing against their crosstown rival deep into the game. Still, the deficit they created early proved too much to erase in a 6-4 loss, another reminder that against the Yankees, one bad stretch can shape the whole night even when the closing moments offer a flicker of life. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Face A Costly Clay Holmes Question All Over Again
Clay Holmes is back in the kind of free-agent conversation that can make a front office pause. Spotrac pegs the relievers market at roughly $22.9 million a year, with a deal that could climb into the $68 million to $70 million range over three years, and that price tag naturally forces the Mets to weigh how much they want to commit to a pitcher who could help in more than one role. The appeal is obvious: Holmes would give New York another arm to consider for the bullpen or even the starting rotation, which adds flexibility to a staff that still needs quality innings.
The financial picture may get even trickier depending on how the next collective bargaining agreement shapes the market, since timing can move free-agent salaries in either direction. For the Mets, the question is not simply whether Holmes fits, but whether he fits as part of a larger pitching plan that might also include other additions. Sean Manaea and Tarik Skubal enter the broader conversation as benchmarks for value and impact, but Holmes remains the name that could force New York to decide how aggressively it wants to buy stability on the mound. [Read more 🡒]