Yankees Game 107: Severino shines in relief as Teixeira rattles the Mets

Mark Teixeira puts the Yankees ahead and brief residence in the Mets' heads as the Yankees win the first 2016 Subway Series game in the Bronx.

New York Mets 5 – New York Yankees 9

Starting the Bronx edition of the Subway Series, the Yankees hosted the cross-town rival Mets to start a two-game series.

In the first inning, Curtis Granderson played like he never left the Bronx when he took Chad Green deep to right for the lead off solo home run. Chad Green compounded the troublesome first inning as Neil Walker and Yoenis Cespedes reached base with a pair of seeing-eye singles and a walk of Jay Bruce loaded the bases. James Loney made it a two-run game with a run-scoring single but Green appeared to settle down. He struck out Michael Conforto looking and generated an inning ending double play from Wilmer Flores to keep the damage to two.

After the rough first inning for Green, the offense backed up their starting pitcher in the bottom of the first.

With one out, Rob Refsnyder got on base with a single and Mark Teixeira walked. Chase Headley followed with a base hit into the left center gap that allowed Refsnyder and Teixeira to score for a game-tying, two-run double.

Green surrendered the lead in the second inning when Kelly Johnson scored from second on a single by Rene Rivera. But the offense continued responding in a high energy first two innings of the game. With two outs in the second inning, Jacoby Ellsbury and Rob Refsnyder reached base with singles. Teixeira followed up with the two-out, three-run home run the other way to right field for a Yankee Stadium treat that put the Yankees ahead, 6-3.

Despite surrendering three runs in the first two innings, Green generated three double plays in the first three innings as he tried his hardest to get through the required five innings but a walk of Granderson and a single by Neil Walker with two outs in the fourth inning was the last straw for Green. Luis Severino came on in relief and struck out Yoenis Cespedes to keep the three-run lead intact.

In just 3 2/3 innings, Chad Green allowed three runs on eight hits with four walks and two strikeouts.

In the fifth inning, benches cleared but stayed apart when Mark Teixeira was hit on the knee with the first pitch of the at-bat against Steven Matz.

Luis Severino retired the first seven batters he faced before running into trouble in the seventh inning. He led off the seventh inning with a walk of Curtis Granderson. Neil Walker reached on an infield single and a fielding error by Chase Headley on a sharp line drive from Yoenis Cespedes loaded the bases with no outs. Severino sharpened up by striking out Jay Bruce on three pitches for the first out. James Loney brought home the Mets' fourth run of the game on a ground out to first but a strikeout of Michael Conforto excited Severino as he escaped the jam with minimal damage. Severino added another scoreless inning of relief in a fantastic outing from the bullpen.

In 4 1/3 stellar innings of relief, Luis Severino allowed one unearned run on one hit with one walk and five strikeouts.

In the seventh inning, Hansel Robles came on for the Mets and Gary Sanchez got his first career hit, a single to center field.

Congratulations to Gary Sanchez. Following the single, Aaron Hicks lined a double off the right field wall, missing a home run by feet to put two in scoring position. After Jacoby Ellsbury struck out, Rob Refsnyder got the productive sacrifice fly to center field. Mark Teixeira and Chase Headley walked to load the bases and things took a strange twist. Robles and catcher Rene Rivera had three meetings before one pitch. The suspicion is that Rivera believed Teixeira was stealing signs and informed his reliever. Starlin Castro took advantage of the rattled reliever with a run-scoring, infield single. A walk of Didi Gregorius plated another run to make the lead 9-4.

Tyler Clippard came on for the ninth inning and was tagged with a Neil Walker solo home run but Clippard finished the game to lock up the win.

Win – Luis Severino (1-6)

Loss – Steven Matz (8-8)

Notables

Mets

*Curtis Granderson – 1 for 2, 2 R, 3 BB, Solo home run (17) in the 1st, RBI (30)

*Neil Walker – 4 for 5, 2 R, Solo home run (18) in the 9th, RBI (47)

Yankees

*Mark Teixeira – 1 for 1, 3 R, 2 BB, Three-run home run (10) in the 2nd, 3 RBI (27)

*Didi Gregorius – 1 for 3, BB, 2B, 2 RBI (48)

Current Yankees Record: 54-53