Friday, September 11, 2026 — a night of remembrance in the Bronx, and a reminder of how far the Yankees have come since July.
Before the first pitch of Friday’s Subway Series opener, on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Cody Bellinger caught the ceremonial first pitch from Brielle Saracini, whose father, Victor Saracini, piloted United Airlines Flight 175. Then Bellinger went out and decided the game.
His three-run homer in the second inning off rookie Nolan McLean put the Yankees ahead to stay, and New York beat the Mets 6-4.
The Game
Bellinger’s blast came on a full-count curveball into the right-field seats, turning a 1-1 game into a 4-1 lead. Ben Rice added his 37th home run on the first pitch of the fifth, an opposite-field shot to left. Spencer Jones and Ryan McMahon drove in the other runs.
Carlos Rodón was excellent: two runs on three hits over a season-high 6⅓ innings with eight strikeouts. David Bednar closed it for his 33rd save.
For the Mets, McLean allowed five runs on a career-worst 10 hits in five innings, and the loss snapped a four-game winning streak.
Soto’s Welcome
Juan Soto heard it from the Yankee Stadium crowd before every at-bat. Rodón struck him out twice.
The reception wasn’t a surprise. Soto spent one season in the Bronx before choosing the Mets in free agency, and the Yankees’ offseason pivot afterward shaped much of the roster that is now winning without him. Bellinger, the hero on Friday, arrived as part of that pivot.
The Numbers That Matter
The Yankees are 85-62 and a season-high 23 games over .500. They have won 17 of their last 24. They sit three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East and hold a 5½-game lead over Boston for the top Wild Card spot.
That is a remarkable turnaround for a team that spent most of the summer without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and, for stretches, Bellinger. The AL East title — which looked out of reach a month ago — is a realistic target again, and so is a first-round bye.
The Read
Friday night was about remembrance first. But on the field, it underlined a September storyline that keeps gaining momentum: the Yankees are getting healthier and better at the same time, the division is back in play, and the roster Brian Cashman refused to overhaul at the deadline is starting to look like a legitimate October threat.
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