Two teams trending in different directions of late stuck to the script on Tuesday night.
In a tense Subway Series battle that was left up to the bullpens, Jeff McNeil’s two-run homer off ex-Met Michael Tonkin in the sixth inning proved to be the difference in the Mets’ 3-2 win over the Yankees in The Bronx.
But the drama came to a crescendo in the bottom of the ninth. After Edwin Diaz pitched two of the last three days before Tuesday – including 28 pitches on Monday night – the Mets turned to lefty Jake Diekman in the ninth inning with two lefties leading off.
He got Trent Grisham to fly out before walking Juan Soto on four pitches.
The Mets (52-48) had spent most of the night taking the bat out of Aaron Judge’s hands, with the Yankees (60-43) failing to make them pay for it.
They walked him three times on 14 pitches with J.D. Davis behind him and then intentionally walked him in his fourth trip to the plate.
But in the ninth, with the game on the line, they finally decided to attack him and Diekman delivered by getting Judge to look at a 96 mph fastball dotted on the inside edge for strike three before Ben Rice grounded out to end the game.