NEW YORK -- Just when it seemed things couldn't get crazier in the New York baseball scene, with both teams active at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, Brett Gardner knocked the second pitch of the Subway Series opener on Monday off the wall in right-center field at Citi Field.
As the ball hopped off the fence and got past Mets center fielder Justin Ruggiano, Gardner rounded second with no signs of slowing. It took him 14.89 seconds to reach home, the fastest home-to-home time recorded by Statcast™ this season, although he was thrown out at the plate when right fielder Curtis Granderson recovered the ball and threw it to second baseman Neil Walker, who fired home to catcher Travis d'Arnaud. The Yankees won the game, 6-5.
The previous fastest home-to-home times were singles/scoring on errors by the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig and the Indians' Jason Kipnis, who both clocked in at 15.20 seconds.
Gardner reached a top speed of 20.1 mph, according to Statcast™. The Yankees didn't reach base again in the opening frame.