Luke Weaver helped the Mets even the Subway Series by beating the Yankees 6-3 on Saturday night, with Mark Vientos driving in three runs and Juan Soto adding two hits and two walks.
When Luke Weaver stepped in for the Mets against the Yankees for the first time, the situation was already tense: seventh inning, bases loaded, no outs. He escaped that jam and helped New York even the weekend Subway Series at one game apiece, winning 6-3 on Saturday night.
The Mets tightened the game early and then widened it. Carlos Rodón’s two-run wild pitch/throwing error in the third inning, followed by Mark Vientos’ two-run double in the fifth off Brent Headrick, gave New York a 5-2 advantage.
Vientos finished with three RBIs, while Juan Soto collected two hits and two walks as the Mets earned their fourth win in five games.
The Yankees tried to climb back in the seventh. Mets rookie right fielder Carsen Benge dropped Cody Bellinger’s drifting fly ball for an error, letting Aaron Judge score from second and pulling New York within two at 6-4.
New York also created momentum before Weaver’s key relief stint. Paul Goldschmidt was hit by a pitch, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. loaded the bases when he popped up a bunt that landed behind the pitcher’s mound for a single.
Weaver’s night carried extra weight because he had just crossed town.. He left the Yankees in December for a $22 million, two-year deal with the Mets.. In the seventh. he relieved Brooks Raley and struck out Amed Rosario and Trent Grisham on changeups. then got Anthony Volpe to ground into an inning-ending forceout.
Weaver later kept the Yankees quiet through the final outs: he pitched a one-hit eighth, and Devin Williams—who also left the Yankees in December for a $51 million, three-year deal with the Mets—worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save in seven chances.
On the mound, David Peterson (2-4) struck out a season-high eight, allowing two runs, six hits and three walks in four innings.
The Yankees’ struggles with runners were clear in the final tally. They stranded 11, went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position, and entered the weekend trip already carrying their own frustration. After the loss, they dropped to 2-6 on the road trip.
Rodón’s control was another theme.. The Yankees had taken the lead in the second when Grisham’s RBI single put them ahead. but Rodón (0-1) again struggled with his command in his second big league start after elbow surgery.. In 3 2/3 innings. he allowed three runs—two earned—on three hits and three walks. and he has walked eight in eight innings.
A pivotal sequence came in the third.. Rodón struck out his first two batters, then Benge doubled.. After Bo Bichette and Soto walked, Rodón threw a high fastball that hit the padding above the backstop.. The ball ricocheted into the air. Rodón grabbed it with his bare hand as he crossed the first-base foul line. and in one motion whipped the ball to the backstop as Bichette sprinted home for a 2-1 Mets lead.
The series is set to continue Sunday with Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (3-3, 3.10) scheduled to face Yankees RHP Elmer Rodriguez (0-1, 5.19) in the finale.
The Mets’ scoring swing mapped directly onto key baseball breakdowns: Rodón’s wild pitch/throwing error in the third and Vientos’ two-run double in the fifth built the 5-2 lead. then a Benge error in the seventh allowed the Yankees to draw closer. before Weaver and Williams closed the door at the end.
Mets Yankees Luke Weaver Mark Vientos Juan Soto Devin Williams Carlos Rodón Carsen Benge Subway Series