NEW YORK – As David Bednar approaches the one-year anniversary of his installation as the Yankees’ closer, he carries the reputation of a rubber-armed bulldog, one who never flinches at the suggestion of a heavy workload. But frequent high-wire acts are also part of the deal.
One out from sealing a victory, Bednar was charged with his second blown save of the season on Sunday, surrendering Tyrone Taylor’s game-tying three-run homer. Carson Benge knocked in the winning run off Tim Hill in the 10th inning as the Yankees absorbed a 7-6 loss to the Mets on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Carson Benge and Bo Bichette opened the ninth with hits off Bednar, who recorded the next two outs, placing the Yanks on victory’s doorstep. Taylor pounced on a hanging first-pitch curveball, belting it over the left-field wall to knot the series finale.
It was Bednar’s second homer allowed in his past four games. He’d surrendered just two in his first 38 games as a Yankee, dating to his acquisition last July 31 from the Pirates.
The late flip spoiled a standout performance from Anthony Volpe, who contributed two walks, two hits and three RBIs as he looks to solidify his outlook for consistent playing time. Volpe is filling in for José Caballero, who grabbed the starting shortstop duties in April and is expected to reclaim it after a 10-day stint on the injured list with a fractured right middle finger.
Ben Rice cracked his 15th home run in the loss. Rice and Aaron Judge (16) are just the second pair of Yankees to hit 15 or more homers in the team’s first 47 games of a season; Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle (1956) and Mantle and Roger Maris (1961) are the others.
Volpe notched his first hit of the season with a second-inning double, then contributed a key knock to the Yankees’ four-run sixth inning. Two walks, a sacrifice bunt and a hit batter set up Volpe’s hit off Sean Manaea, chasing home Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Amed Rosario lifted a sacrifice fly, and another run scored when Bo Bichette dropped a Trent Grisham popup for an error. Luis Torrens’ two-run pinch-hit double off Jake Bird trimmed the Yankees’ lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Elmer Rodríguez navigated 4 1/3 innings in his third Major League start, limiting the Mets to Marcus Semien’s fourth-inning RBI double. The Yankees’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Rodríguez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday when left-hander Max Fried landed on the 15-day injured list with a left elbow bone bruise.