Judge HR in 8th sends Yankees over slumping Mets 4-3

NEW YORK (AP) – Aaron Judge hit a tiebreaking drive in the eighth inning and the New York Yankees won a game of home run derby, beating the Mets 4-3 on Saturday night for their sixth straight victory in the Subway Series.

Rookies Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar also homered at Citi Field, ensuring the Empire State Building would sparkle in Yankees team colors for 10 minutes after the win. The Yanks have won four in a row overall and nine of 10.

The Mets built a 3-0 lead on first-inning homers by Todd Frazier and Asdrubal Cabrera, but still lost their eighth in a row.

The Mets have dropped 10 straight at Citi Field, their worst skid at home since losing a team-record 15 at Shea Stadium in 2002, the Elias Sports Bureau said. Hall of Famer Mike Piazza was a member of that club, and he threw out the first ball in this game.

Judge grounded out with the bases loaded to end the fifth but later sent the first pitch from Anthony Swarzak (0-1) into the left-field seats. The Yankees lead the majors in winning percentage and home runs – on a night when every run scored on a homer, the Yankees hit one more than the Mets.

Judge showed no ill effects from jamming his thumb on a slide Friday night during the Yankees’ 4-1 win. Judge’s 18th homer got the Yankees fans finally shouting louder than their Mets counterparts in a sellout crowd.

David Robertson (5-2) pitched a scoreless seventh and Dellin Betances, the only player in this Subway Series born in New York, struck out the side in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman, who has been bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, worked around two walks in the ninth for his 17th save in 18 chances.

Andujar’s two-run homer in the sixth off Steven Matz made it 3-all. Torres connected for his 11th homer in the Yankees third.

Stuck in a scoring rut, the Mets rearranged their lineup – “We need to just shake things up,” manager Mickey Callaway said before the game.

The new batting order provided an immediate payoff, too. Frazier, in the second spot for the first time this year, and Cabrera quickly homered off rookie Domingo German.

SLAMMING THE DOOR SHUT

Aaron Hicks led off the game with a drive to right-center field, and the ball bounded through a gate that had been left wide open and rolled into the Yankees’ bullpen. Hicks was awarded a double, but picked off second by Matz.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka was put on the 10-day disabled list, a day after straining both hamstrings running the bases. Manager Aaron Boone said it’s “very possible” Tanaka will be back before the All-Star break in mid-July.

Mets: OF Yoenis Cespedes, out since May 13 because of a strained right hip flexor, hit two doubles for Double-A Binghamton but was pulled early for precautionary reasons with tightness in his right quad. He’ll be re-evaluated Sunday. This was his second rehab game.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (9-1, 2.20 ERA) is 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last 10 starts. He has a 0.00 ERA in 10 2/3 career innings vs. the Mets.

Mets: RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.04) makes his second start and 23rd appearance of the season. He’s been especially effective against lefty hitters, holding them to a .117 batting average (7 for 60).

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, right, celebrates his home run with teammate Giancarlo Stanton (27) during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Saturday, June 9, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Mets pitcher Steven Matz (32) reacts as New York Yankees’ Miguel Andujar (41) rounds the bases with a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 9, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Former New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza acknowledges the fans before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a Mets baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, June 9, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)