NEW YORK _ The 21st annual Subway Series got underway with a bang Monday night in the Bronx. Five of them, to be exact.
Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes hit the first two, solo shots in the third inning as the Mets took an early lead. But it was the final three _ a tying home run by Aaron Judge in the sixth, a go-ahead blast by Aaron Hicks in the eighth and an insurance shot by Gary Sanchez later in the eighth _ that powered the Yankees to a 4-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 45,619 at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees were trailing 2-1 when Judge led off the sixth with his 36th home run into the box seats in front of the right-center field bleachers off starter Rafael Montero.
Hicks' go-ahead blast off Hansel Robles (7-4) was a no-doubter that traveled deep into the bleachers in right-center to give the Yankees their first lead. It was Hicks' 12th home run.
Sanchez followed three batters with his 20th, also to right. This one was off Erik Goeddel and gave the Yankees a two-run cushion to hand to closer-for-a-night Dellin Betances.
The Yankees, who moved to within 4 { games of the Red Sox in the AL East, were able to shake off Sunday night's 3-2, 10-inning loss to Boston in which closer Aroldis Chapman allowed the tying home run in the ninth.
Joe Girardi reaffirmed Chapman's status as his closer, but said before the game he preferred to give the struggling left-hander the night off. Betances pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save, striking out rookie shortstop Amed Rosario to end it.
While the Yankees chase a playoff spot, the Mets are just trying to finish out the season and make a good showing in the four-game Subway Series. The combined record of Monday's starting pitchers was 1-11. Luis Cessa came in 0-3, while Montero was 1-8.
Both young right-handers left with the same record after pitching well. Cessa allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings before leaving with an apparent injury (the Yankees did not immediately announce what it was). The former Mets prospect gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five, including all three outs in the first inning.
Montero, who came in with a 6.06 ERA, struck out two in his first inning and another to open the second. He lasted six innings, allowing two runs, five hits and two walks and striking out six.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the third on Granderson's home run to right. It was Granderson's 18th of the season and the 69th he has hit at Yankee Stadium (this one and its predecessor). One batter later, Cespedes homered into the Yankees' bullpen _ despite Judge's best efforts at the right-centerfield wall _ to make it 2-0. Cespedes' 15th glanced off the glove of the leaping Judge and hit off the top of the wall before settling into the bullpen. Judge used all of his 6-7 frame in an attempt to grab the drive, but he just came up short.
Montero needed only 43 pitches to get through the first three innings, but he threw 31 in the fourth as the Yankees loaded the bases on a single and two walks. Sanchez made it 2-1 with a short sacrifice fly to left, with Hicks barely beating the throw from Cespedes.
Chad Green replaced Cessa and provided 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball. Green didn't allow a hit, walked one and struck out four. David Robertson (6-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory.
