Alonso Error And Yankees Win Subway Series

Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

BRONX, NY — You can be skeptical about the Mets and hope Juan Soto will resemble the generational player who signed that historic 15-year/$765 million contract. Overall, the Mets pitching has led the majors in ERA, they have scored runs in bunches but not as much the past two weeks. And the Yankees have scored their runs in bunches, leading baseball as a team in home runs.

Overall, the Mets are a good team, postseason in October has never been a doubt, though there is still a long way to go. But losing two of three to the Yankees in this first installment of the Subway Series is unacceptable to their fans. Though three games against their crosstown rivals and losing the series is a bump on that long road to October.

A series that centered on Soto (2021 NL LatinoMVP/2024 AL LatinoMVP) and two teams that lead their respective divisions, and hopes they will meet again for the entire prize in October.

But Sunday night in the Bronx, this was about an 8th inning Cody Bellinger grand slam, a Pete Alonso throwing error to the plate that allowed a Yankees go-ahead run and six run inning.

The Yankees took the rubber game, 8-2. They will do it again three more times around the July 4th holiday weekend at Citi Field. Perhaps, Soto in due time will become that generational player and both teams still hold first place leads. And it’s time to say goodbye and hear excuses about pressure surrounding Soto and his contract.

To simply put it, Soto is hitting the ball hard and manager Carlos Mendoza alluded to that prior to all three games in the Bronx. But Soto at-bats are different. There has been limited consistency in drawing walks, a different ballplayer at bat. He is not showing the enthusiasm that was constant batting behind Aaron Judge last season. Judge, prior to the first pitch Sunday evening greeted Soto and said, ‘Hey man, you’re the best in the game. Things like this are gonna happen. Just keep playing your game.”

Perhaps easier said than done. Soto during his Sunday night in the Bronx went 0-for-4, two strikeouts, and 1-for-10 with four walks in the three-game weekend series.

However losing two of three to the Yankees does not end a Mets season in a difficult series stretch with the Yankees, Red Sox, and rematch of the 2024 NLCS against the Dodgers next weekend at Citi Field.

“We’ve got to get ready for another good team before we start thinking about what’s next,” said Mendoza.

“That’s our mentality here. This is something that we’ve got to get better and we will because we’ve got good defenders there,” he said about the Alonso throw and defense.

Though the Mets are averaging 2.2 runs per game over their last six. The defense had a meltdown in this series finale and hitting has been conspicuous, 14 hits and seven runs.

If that defense had stayed afloat we are perhaps talking about a 2-2 game going to the ninth. Perhaps another late game of heroics and win the Mets have been accustomed to, scoring 55 runs combined in the 8th and 9th innings, 47 games prior to this loss.

And Alonso is struggling, a tendency to chase pitches again that were so common last season (0-for-4, two strikeouts) fooled on sinkers off Yankees’ left-handed starter Max Fried. And four-seam fastballs that were connecting for home runs. The average is respectable (.301) but there has to be a concern.

The throwing error to the plate on a fielder’s choice that got by catcher Francisco Álvarez opened the floodgates for the Yankees big inning.

“I messed up,” said Alonso. “I just made an awful throw. The whole inning, this game. It’s on me, After that throw the momentum got out of hand. That’s a play that I usually make and I can make pretty routinely.”

Certainly an off night and series for the Mets, at least they avoided a sweep with their narrow 3-2 win Saturday afternoon. A series anticipated with Soto returning to his old stomping grounds and a Subway Series revival of the drama.

But the Yankees were the better team. And not one baseball expert would say they are not a good team, World Series aspirations are in their plan as they are for the Mets. But the Mets need Alonso to be consistent. They need Francisco Lindor to be that table setter and he did not show up in this series.

And they need Juan Soto to come around and turn the corner. The Yankees saw Bellinger again deliver his ninth career grand slam, a two run double in the first inning. A career high 13-game hitting streak, one of the pivots to his acquisition when Soto turned down their offer.

“I think anytime you win a series it’s important,” said Yanks starter Fried (two runs, three hits, eight K’s, two walks, six innings) in a pitching duel with Mets left-hander David Peterson. And consider league leading home run and hitting leader Aaron Judge failed to hit one out of the yard.

But a costly error led to a Yankees late inning win. The Mets lost another series. On to Boston and back at Citi Field with the Dodgers. And eventually Soto will have an impact.

Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content

Instagram: @latinosportsoficial

Facebook: Latino Sports

Twitter: @latinosports