Tyrone Taylor's homer fuels rally as Mets take Subway Series

NEW YORK -- Less than 48 hours after plummeting to another low in their dismal season, the Metsleft Citi Field on Sunday on a high.

On Friday, the Mets lost the Subway Series opener and Clay Holmes, their best starting pitcher this season, for an extended period because of a fractured right fibula. But they rebounded to take the final two games over the Yankees, capped by an improbable 7-6 comeback win in Sunday's series finale.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Tyrone Taylor -- a reserve outfielder known for his defense -- hit a tying three-run home run off Yankees closer David Bednar. With runners on the corners and one out, Mets closer Devin Williamsinduced an inning-ending double play in the 10th before Carson Bengedrove in the winner on a fielder's choice for his second walk-off RBI of the homestand to give the Mets their fifth win in six games. The Yankees, meanwhile, have dropped seven of nine.

"Awesome," Taylor said. "That's all I can say. This is awesome."

The Mets had been 0-91 when trailing after eight innings since Game 3 of their wild-card series against the Milwaukee Brewersin 2024, when Pete Alonso hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Williams, then the Brewers' closer.

"That's impressive, right?" Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "That's hard to do. Baseball, it's hard to explain sometimes."

Despite their inexplicable underperformance and numerous injuries, the Mets entered this weekend showdown against the formidable Yankees maintaining that they could turn around their season.

Then, Holmes' injury occurred. For the first time this season, Mendoza seemed deflated after learning of the severity of Holmes' injury, which happened when Spencer Jones hit a comebacker off Holmes' leg. The Mets already had right-handed starter Kodai Senga and four starting position players, including star shortstop Francisco Lindor, on the injured list, but Mendoza said Friday "felt different" after the diagnosis. Getting back on track seemed daunting even for a team with the second-highest payroll in the majors.

The Mets responded with an encouraging 6-3 win Saturday, highlighted by former Yankees reliever Luke Weaver escaping a base-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning. But the good vibes seemed fleeting Sunday. The Yankees capitalized on more Mets sloppiness to score four runs and take a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning on one hit, two walks, a hit by pitch and an error by shortstop Bo Bichette on a routine popup to shallow left field.

"We didn't play our best, and you get down and for us to just continue to fight and for Tyrone to come through there is just special," Mendoza said. "A lot of people contributing. It was just good to see the guys fight back, staying in the fight. It's just a good feeling now."

The feeling was possible because Taylor defied the numbers. The right-handed hitter had been 6-for-42 with no home runs and a .348 OPS against right-handers this season before he jumped on a first-pitch curveball from Bednar, tucking the blast just inside the left-field foul pole.

Taylor entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning when Jones robbed him of a run-scoring hit for the third out. Two innings later, Taylor whacked a 103.8 mph lineout. Teammates encouraged him after the misfortune. At least one sensed a better outcome was near.

"I had a feeling," Benge said. "I didn't tell him that, but to be able to see that was so sick."

There's a chance the Mets look back at their wins Saturday and Sunday as a turning point this season. They were in a worse spot two years ago, when they were 11 games under .500 on June 2, before a magical summer ended two wins short of reaching the World Series. There's also a chance it will be the highlight of a disappointing season.

The Mets will begin a six-game road trip Monday against the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins with a 20-26 record, seven games out of the third and final NL wild-card spot. They're short-handed, and their underperformance remains an issue for key players. But they still believe.

"We know that we got to start playing better, period," Mendoza said. "It's been rough. But that's in the past. Now, all we can control is every game, every series, the mentality of winning series. And we did that this homestand, and we got to continue to do it."