Lindor, Alonso, Taylor homer off Cole. Mets rout Yankees for 4-game Subway Series sweep
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor homered off Gerrit Cole, Lindor added a three-run shot against the bullpen and the New York Mets routed the Yankees 12-3 on Wednesday night to sweep the season Subway Series for the first time since 2013.
Lindor hit a two-run drive left-handed against Cole and connected right-handed off Caleb Ferguson for a season-high five RBIs and his 18th multi-homer game, his third this year. Lindor has 21 homers and 60 RBIs.
Mark Vientos went deep against Tim Hill in a five-run eighth as the Yankees allowed four or more homers for the third time in five games.
The Mets finished 4-0 against the Yankees this year, matching their sweep in 2013, and outscored them 36-14. The Mets improved to 29-13 after a 24-35 start.
"It's great winning. I love winning," Lindor said. "The vibes are completely different than when we were losing. Right now we understand that we have a good team and that we have great players and great people in this clubhouse, and we're all playing for each other."
The Yankees (60-44) are 10-22 following a 50-22 start and 1-8-2 in their last 11 series after opening 17-3-2. They have yielded 34 homers over 18 games in July and gave up five in a game for the first time in two years.
"We're getting our teeth kicked in," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, clearly frustrated during a postgame news conference in which he used a pair of profanities and ended by saying: "Sorry for using the s word."
The Yankees were 4 for 36 with runners in scoring position against the Mets this year.
"We can't make excuses, can't point fingers," Aaron Judge said. "It just comes down to what we're doing on the field, and it's not great right now."
Sean Manaea gave up Gleyber Torres' leadoff homer in the first and Juan Soto's 26th home run in the third, but the Mets (53-48) overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits and moved five games over .500 for the first time since they were 14-9 in April 2023.
Cole (3-2) allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 5.40. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has given up seven home runs with an 11.17 ERA in a pair of starts against the Mets and two homers with a 3.20 ERA in his other five outings.
Taylor hit a tying homer in the third, Alonso a two-run shot in the fourth and Lindor a two-run drive in the fifth among his three hits.
Taylor chased Cole with his third hit, an RBI single in the sixth that caused fans to boo the Yankees ace when he walked to the dugout. Taylor also made a sprawling backhand catch in center that robbed Alex Verdugo of a hit leading off the bottom half.
With the Mets ahead 5-2, Adam Ottavino (2-2) got Anthony Volpe to ground into an inning-ending forceout with the bases loaded in the fifth.
Manaea gave up two runs, three hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings.
The season-high crowd of 48,760 was the Yankees' 14th sellout, one shy of their 2023 total.
Torres, restored to the top of the batting order for the first time since April 9, hit his first career leadoff homer.
Soto made a leaping catch to rob Jeff McNeil at the top of the right-field wall for the final out of the second. McNeil had homered in his previous two games, including a tiebreaking, two-run drive that lifted the Mets to a 3-2 win Tuesday.
LEFT EARLY
Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake left before the start of the game when his wife went into labor for the delivery of their first child.
DRAFT
The Mets agreed to a minor league contract with Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge, the 19th overall pick in the amateur draft.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Rookie RHP Christian Scott won't throw for two weeks but is expected to pitch again this season after an MRI of his ailing right elbow did not show a severe injury. ... RHP Sean Reid-Foley (shoulder impingement) was scratched from a rehab appearance Thursday with High-A Brooklyn and instead will throw batting practice at Citi Field. He could pitch for Brooklyn on Sunday.
Yankees: It remains unclear whether DH Giancarlo Stanton (strained left hamstring) will be activated in Boston this weekend.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Luis Severino (7-3) starts Thursday night's homestand opener against Atlanta and LHP Chris Sale (13-3), who has won three straight starts and five of six.
Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (4-9) starts Friday's series opener at Boston, and RHP Brayan Bello (10-5) will be on the mound for the Red Sox. Cortes is 4-4 with a 2.48 ERA at home and 0-5 with a 6.04 ERA on the road.