NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger lofted a high fly to deep right field, where Juan Soto positioned himself in front of an unfriendly Yankee Stadium crowd and came up short.
Summed up the entire Subway Series, really.
Soto was booed all weekend during a disappointing return to the Bronx, while Bellinger delivered several big hits that helped the New York Yankees get the best of their crosstown rivals.
Bellinger hit a game-breaking grand slam Sunday night that soared just beyond Soto's reach at the wall, and the Yankees beat the New York Mets 8-2 to take two of three at home in a matchup of first-place teams.
“I thought it was very fun," Bellinger said after equaling a career high with six RBIs in the finale of his first Subway Series. “I really enjoyed it.”
Soto probably didn't. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to the noisy delight of Yankees fans in a sellout crowd of 48,028. That left him 1 for 10 with four walks during his first series back in the Bronx since leaving the Yankees for a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets.
The slugger didn't speak with reporters in the clubhouse after the game.
“It was good to see him,” Yankees star Aaron Judge said, “but happy we were kind of — either walk him or not let him do any damage, especially in this series.”
Bellinger was acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in a December trade to help replace Soto's powerful bat in the outfield. Following a slow start, the two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP is on a major tear at the plate.
“He's swinging at the pitches he needs to be swinging at, and his balance is where it needs to be,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I really think it’s as simple as that.”
Bellinger, whose father Clay won three American League pennants and two World Series titles as a light-hitting bench player for the Yankees from 1999-2001, is batting .340 with three homers, six RBIs and a .980 OPS since May 3 during a 13-game hitting streak that ties his career best.
“He's just been swinging the bat so well the past couple games, and I love it when I have that guy hitting behind me,” Judge said. “I just feel like his approach is a little better. He knows what he's looking for when he steps into the box, and when he gets what he's looking for he's not missing it.”
Bellinger went 3 for 3 with two walks Sunday on a perfect night at the plate, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. His two-run double in the first inning gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead, and his ninth career slam in the eighth off left-handed reliever Génesis Cabrera capped a six-run outburst that put the game away.
“He’s kind of the same every day. I think he’s got enough experience in this league now obviously, and he’s experienced it all," Boone said. "He’s experienced being the best player in the league and winning MVP. He’s experienced struggles. He’s experienced making a career kind of swing change and dealing with an injury and kind of evolving behind the scenes.
"You see that experience play out, like, whether he’s flying high or going through a rough patch, just kind of sticking with his process and his routine and kind of the same guy.”
Bellinger also went deep Saturday in a 3-2 loss to the Mets and finished 7 for 11 with two homers, three walks, four runs and seven RBIs in the series.
“He can hit a homer or he can choke up and hit the ball the other way for a base hit, and he has the ability to fight off some really tough pitches — especially with two strikes," Yankees ace Max Fried said. “You can turn on that two-strike approach and when you have a guy that has good bat-to-ball skills and also can be that deep-ball threat, it’s just really hard to make sure. They've got to throw a really good pitch.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Mike Fitzpatrick, The Associated Press
