“New York Groove” from Lindor and Díaz propel Mets to Saturday Victory over Yankees

Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

BRONX, NY — Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz brought their “New York Groove” to the Bronx Saturday afternoon, propelling the Mets over the Yankees, 3-2, to split the first two games of a three-game weekend Subway Series. 

The pair of Puerto Rico natives, delivering in the clutch when their respective opportunities were called upon, each made a sold-out Yankee Stadium crowd of 47,510 mixed in with pinstripes and orange and blue, come to its feet in the top and bottom of the ninth inning. 

For Lindor, 31, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, up to bat with bases loaded and one down in the visiting frame of the ninth—the reigning National League LatinoMVP Award winner—not trying to do too much connected on a 3-1 94-MPH four-seam fastball from Yankees’ reliever Fernando Cruz to left-center field, which scored Luisangel Acuña for a sacrifice fly and the go-ahead run. 

A well fundamentally executed approach and plan by Lindor to get the ball in play for an attempt to take the lead rather than searching for the “dagger” grand slam. 

“No one is trying to be the hero,” Lindor said following the 3-2 win. “Just pass the baton and play the game.”

Then for Díaz, 31, a two-time LatinoMVP Reliever of the Year from Naguabo, Puerto Rico, the right-handed closer, one of the most intimidating closers in the game, shut the door on the Yankees minutes after Lindor’s sac-fly to record his 10th save of the season, as the last and final out of the New York baseball crosstown Saturday battle, came via a strikeout on the best hitter in the game, Aaron Judge. 

“One run game and then you get the matchup of Díaz and Judge, that’s what you pay for to come to watch a big league game when you have two teams with a lot of superstars,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of the superstar at-bat from both ends. 

“To get Judge on a 3-2 fastball up in the zone, it was really good to see. Conviction with all of his pitches. Attacked, executed, hell of a job there.”

“I was just trying to go after him, I know he is a great hitter but I got really great stuff,” Díaz stated to SNY in a postgame on-the-field interview. 

“One of the best players in the league, showcasing against him and I got the win today.”

With the K on Judge for Díaz’s 10th save of the 2025 season, lowering his ERA to 3.00, the two-time All-Star is one of 14 pitchers in MLB to record double digit saves in eight of their first nine career seasons.

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