Mets Beat Yankees 6-3 Behind First Inning Barrage

Mets closer Edwin Diaz (Photo Credits to Brad Penner-USA Today Sports)

The New York Mets beat the New York Yankees 6-3 tonight at Citi Field in the first game of the Subway Series for their second consecutive win and improved their record to 60-37.

The offense got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first after RF Starling Marte homered with one out and SS Francisco Lindor followed with a double.

1B Pete Alonso then hit a RBI double to tie the game.

Two batters later, 3B Eduardo Escobar delivered a go-ahead two-run homer. 

After a scoreless bottom of the second, Marte led off the bottom of the third with a double and then scored on a ground-ball by Lindor to 3B Josh Donaldson.

The bats were quiet for the next four innings until the bottom of the eighth after Lindor led off with an infield hit and Alonso followed with a single.

Later in the inning, Alonso and Lindor advanced to second and third on a wild pitch and 2B Jeff McNeil came through with a RBI single.

RHP Taijuan Walker got off to a tough start in the top of the first inning after he gave up back-to-back homers to CF Aaron Judge and 1B Anthony Rizzo.

Walker settled down after that with scoreless innings in the top of the second and third, 

He ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after he gave up one-out singles to LF Aaron Hicks and SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa which loaded the bases. 

Walker gave up a RBI ground-out to 2B D.J. LeMathieu later in the inning, but was able to get out of the inning after he retired Rizzo on a deep fly out to CF to end the inning.

Walker cruised after that with scoreless innings in the top of the fifth and sixth and was taken out after the inning.

His final line was six innings, seven hits, three runs, one walk and three strikeouts and he battled through not having his best stuff against a tough lineup.

He picked up his eighth win.

RHP Adam Ottavino followed and threw 1.2 scoreless innings. 

RHP Edwin Diaz came on with two outs in the top of the eighth and struck out pinch-hitter Joey Gallo to end the inning.

Diaz had three more strikeouts in the top of the ninth in another dominating performance to pick up his 22th save.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Wednesday July 27th at home against the Yankees at 7:10 p.m.