More On: chad green
Anthony Rizzo’s belts another HR to lead Yankees past Marlins again
Jose Altuve, Astros get last laugh on trolling Aaron Judge: ‘It’s a little hot’
Yankees hold off Mariners as Chad Green picks up save
Imagining what a sad Yankees trade deadline selloff could look like
Aroldis Chapman implodes in ninth as Yankees blow chance to sweep
A day after the Mets and much of the rest of Major League Baseball opted not to play in an attempt to protest racial injustice, there was no talk of another day of postponements. Instead, the Mets and Yankees took the field in The Bronx on Jackie Robinson Day, and Dom Smith — whose words …
A day after the Mets and much of the rest of Major League Baseball opted not to play in an attempt to protest racial injustice, there was no talk of another day of postponements.
Instead, the Mets and Yankees took the field in The Bronx on Jackie Robinson Day, and Dom Smith — whose words and tears impacted the entire sport Wednesday and led to the movement not to play — came through with his bat.
Smith’s solo shot off Chad Green with two outs in the top of the sixth gave the Mets their first lead, as they handed the Yankees their sixth consecutive loss, 6-4, in the first of a pair of seven-inning games.
“It’s amazing, the way he carries himself off the field,’’ right-hander Michael Wacha said. “For him to come through there was unbelievable. That was a very tough pitcher he was facing.”
Green is certainly a tough pitcher, but was his second straight poor outing, as he also allowed a homer to Freddie Freeman in Atlanta on Wednesday to blow that game.
The Mets’ sixth-inning rally started with singles by J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto off left-hander Jordan Montgomery.
At just 68 pitches and holding a three-run lead, Montgomery was removed for Green to face Pete Alonso, who was mired in an 0-for-13 skid.
Alonso, though, worked a full count and drilled a game-tying three-run shot to center.
After Green got Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos, Smith came to the plate and hit one out to right-center to give the Mets a 5-4 lead.
Jake Marisnick followed with another homer to make it 6-4.
Like Masahiro Tanaka in Wednesday’s loss to the Braves, Montgomery had a low pitch count when he was pulled, but Aaron Boone defended the move.
“We like Green in just about any situation,’’ Boone said. “He’s had a couple bumps here. … It wasn’t a great day.”
The Yankees got two runners on with two outs in the sixth against Dellin Betances, as the ex-Yankee hit Clint Frazier and walked Brett Gardner. But Gary Sanchez popped to center, as his struggles continued.
Edwin Diaz closed it out in the seventh for the save.
For the Yankees the six-game losing streak is their longest since they dropped seven in a row in 2017.
“We’ve just got to find a way,’’ Boone said of his injury-decimated team that had Gardner hitting third, Estevan Florial starting in center field despite never having played a game above Single-A Tampa and now Gio Urshela nursing an elbow injury. “We haven’t been able to finish off the win.”
An RBI double and two-run homer by Frazier helped spark the early 4-0 Yankees lead, but Miguel Andujar’s continued issues at third led to a Mets’ run in the top of the fifth.
But it wasn’t until the sixth the Mets’ offense really got going.
“Wow,’’ Wacha said of the sixth-inning rally. “Our lineup is capable of doing that every single time. … Anytime you can snatch one right at the end, it’s a good feeling. It’s one of those types of wins that can get you on a roll.”
Wacha, in his first start since returning from shoulder inflammation that led to an injured list stint, gave up four runs in three innings.
Walker Lockett came on to toss two scoreless innings before being designated for assignment to open a roster spot for the Game 2 starter, David Peterson, who was also coming off the IL due to shoulder fatigue.
Betances escaped the sixth and Diaz struck out the side in the ninth to pick up the save.
