Teixeira swats pair off deGrom as Yanks snap Mets' win streak
NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira homered twice off Jacob deGrom and Michael Pineda pitched effectively into the eighth inning in Friday night's Subway Series opener, helping the Yankees snap the Mets' 11-game winning streak with a 6-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.
"Home runs are always good," said Teixeira, who leads the Yankees with seven homers. "They're not easy to come by, especially against a good pitcher. It was a good night."
Jacoby Ellsbury also homered for the Yankees, who won for the seventh time in eight games. Pineda limited the Mets to Lucas Duda's sixth-inning sacrifice fly to notch his third consecutive victory, scattering five hits over 7 2/3 innings while striking out seven.
"On a night like tonight, it's extremely impressive," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I thought his stuff was excellent from the beginning and he carried it almost through eight innings."
Video: NYM@NYY: Girardi on Pineda's start, 6-1 win over Mets
deGrom was charged with six runs on eight hits over five innings, as Teixeira's first-inning homer snapped his 18 1/3-innings scoreless streak. The three homers allowed by deGrom marked a career high.
"It's disappointing because we were on a nice roll," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "And I know the Yankees have been playing very well, but we're surprised when Jake doesn't have his good stuff. And tonight, he didn't have it."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
On the Mark: Teixeira gave the Yankees a quick lead in the first inning with a two-run shot to right field off deGrom, then extended their advantage with another two-run homer in the third. Seven of Teixeira's 12 hits have been home runs. It marked Teixeira's 38th career multihomer game and first since July 9, 2014, at Cleveland.
Video: NYM@NYY: Teixeira launches his second homer
"I've said all along about Tex, he really knows how to drive runs in," Girardi said. "Ever since he's been here, and I've watched, he knows how to get the job done." More >
Not so deGrominant: It wasn't just Teixeira who hurt deGrom, but also Ellsbury, who hit a solo homer in the third, and Stephen Drew, who added a sacrifice fly. deGrom departed after allowing a season-high six runs in a season-low five innings, raising his ERA from 0.93 to 2.96. More >
Video: NYM@NYY: Ellsbury smacks a solo homer to right field
Big Mike finds his groove: Though he had picked up victories in his last two outings, Pineda had been more hittable than he would like, surrendering 22 hits through his first 18 innings for a .306 opponent batting average. He showed signs of turning that around and recapturing his 2014 form, retiring 13 of his first 14 batters faced while throwing 78 of 100 pitches for strikes.
Video: NYM@NYY: Pineda fans seven in 7 2/3 dominant frames
"That's what I'm looking for," Pineda said. "On top of the hitter for first-pitch strikes ... and it's better for me, because I can make adjustments and make a good pitch and get an out." More >
Hansel, so hot right now: How's this for an MLB debut: Alex Rodriguez at the plate, two men on base. That's the situation that awaited Mets pitcher Hansel Robles, who allowed an infield hit to Rodriguez before striking out Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran to escape the seventh-inning jam. More >
Video: NYM@NYY: Robles strikes out two in MLB debut
QUOTABLE
"We love this series because it's for the fans. Everything we do is for the fans; that's who we play for. The Subway Series really gets the fans excited. We love that. Whether you're at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field, we really enjoy playing in front of the fans when they are excited. I give them a lot of credit, it was freezing out there, it was miserable, but they were still cheering and stuck through the whole game." -- Teixeira
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Friday's game marked the first regular-season matchup in the 19-year history of the Subway Series in which both the Mets and Yankees owned at least a share of first place in their respective divisions, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
DUGOUT EJECTION
Mets pitcher Jon Niese was ejected from the game despite never stepping foot on the field. Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings tossed him in the sixth inning for arguing balls and strikes from the visitors' dugout. More >
Video: NYM@NYY: Niese gets ejected by home plate umpire
WHAT'S NEXT
Mets: Matt Harvey will pitch at Yankee Stadium for the first time in his career in a 4:05 p.m. ET game Saturday. He's faced the Yankees only once before, striking out 10 of them over eight innings of one-run ball in May 2013. In addition to the Yanks' lineup, he'll be dealing with a sprained left ankle, which he plans to wrap heavily before the game.
Yankees: CC Sabathia (0-3, 4.35 ERA) will try again for his first victory since April 24, 2014, as he makes his fourth start of the season in Saturday's matinee. The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in four career Subway Series starts. Sabathia's command has been excellent; he has struck out 20 with just four walks in 20 1/3 innings this season.
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