NEW YORK — The first Subway Series game of the season on Tuesday night didn’t have the injured Aaron Judge or Pete Alonso – that’s a combined 41 home runs on the shelf --- but it had drama and excitement and controversy.
It also had a rare misplay in centerfield by Brandon Nimmo that led to the eventual winning run as the Yankees beat the Mets, 7-6, before a sellout crowd of 43,707 at Citi Field.
The Yankees improved to 4-4 without Judge, who is out with a strained big toe, and overcame another poor start from Luis Severino.
The Mets lost their ninth in 10 games (1-5 since Alonso got hit on the wrist in Atlanta) and watched Max Scherzer blow a 5-1 lead when the Yankees scored five in the fourth to take a 6-5 advantage.
The Mets re-tied the game with a run in the fifth. But the crushing blow for the home team came when the normally sure-handed Nimmo saw a drive by Anthony Volpe tick off the tip of his glove in right-center for what was scored a double.
That miscue put runners on second and third, and the Yankees took a 7-6 lead on pinch hitter Josh Donaldson’s subsequent sacrifice fly.
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the eighth against Wandy Peralta. But Clay Holmes struck out Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte. Michael King pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fourth save.
Judging by the overwhelming cheers after the Ks, there may have been many more Yankees fans than Mets fans in the building.
Mets reliever Drew Smith was ejected after a sticky-substance check when he entered the game and before he threw a pitch in the seventh. Smith faces an automatic 10-game suspension.
The series will conclude on Wednesday night with what is supposed to be a marquee pitching matchup: Justin Verlander against Gerrit Cole.
Giancarlo Stanton started things two batters into the game when he took an 0-and-2 slider from Scherzer 408 feet into the left-centerfield seats for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
Brandon Nimmo tied it off Severino with his eighth career leadoff homer and sixth homer of the season. Nimmo’s 428-foot blast went to the Yankees bullpen in right-center.
Severino had given up three home runs in each of his last two starts.
The Mets took a 2-1 lead later in the inning on Brett Baty’s two-out RBI single and extended it to 4-1 in the second when Jeff McNeil poked a two-out, two-run single inside third base.
One batter earlier, Severino had balked those two baserunners into scoring position. He also balked later in the inning.
In the third, Gleyber Torres booted a potential inning-ending double play ball, which led to a fifth Mets run on Mark Canha’s RBI forceout.
After Torres’ error, pitching coach Matt Blake popped out of the dugout to visit the mound. Severino waved him off with his glove and Blake went back into the dugout.
Scherzer went back out for the fourth with a 5-1 lead. What could go wrong? For the Mets, plenty.
Scherzer gave up five runs and six hits in the inning and the Yankees batted around to take a 6-5 lead.
After Anthony Rizzo led off the inning with a single, DJ LeMahieu hit a two-run homer to left to make it 5-3. It was LeMahieu’s seventh of the season.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa blooped a single to center in front of a diving Nimmo. One out later, Kyle Higashioka singled before Anthony Volpe lashed an RBI double to left.
Jake Bauers then blooped a two-run single to right-center to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead.
Scherzer, who let a 4-1 lead get away in a Mets defeat in Atlanta last Wednesday, was removed. In 3 1/3 innings, he allowed six runs and seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts. His ERA is 4.45.
Severino, who entered the fourth having thrown 78 pitches, had his only 1-2-3 inning and retired the first man in the fifth.
But Baty singled and moved to second on a grounder to third. With two outs and Ron Marinaccio ready in the bullpen, Aaron Boone walked to the mound, but decided to leave in Severino.
Luis Guillorme then lined a tying single to left, after which Severino was taken out by Boone. In 4 2/3 innings, Severino was charged with six runs (five earned). He allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out four. Severino’s ERA is 6.48.
