NEW YORK — Taijuan Walker took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Brandon Nimmo provided a spark in his return from the injured list and the New York Mets beat the crosstown Yankees 8-3 Saturday to open a three-game Subway Series.
The Mets already led 8-0 when Aaron Judge homered with one out in the sixth to end Walker’s bid for the record-tying eighth no-hitter in the majors this season.
Walker (7-3) was lifted after 5 2/3 innings and got a standing ovation from thousands of Mets fans among the season-high crowd of 40,047 at Yankee Stadium — the highest attendance for either New York team since before the coronavirus pandemic.
“Let’s go Mets” chants got minimal pushback from frustrated Yankees fans, many believing their season completely off the rails before the Subway Series began.
Playing for the first time since a brutal 11-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, the Yankees slogged through another frustrating defeat with just three hits, all in the sixth inning. They have dropped six of seven and fell to 41-40 after starting the day 9 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Boston.
Walker allowed two runs, two hits and two walks, striking out five on 106 pitches. His ERA rose slightly to 2.44 during a breakout season after signing a $23 million, three-year free agent contract in February.
Nimmo had three hits along with a hard lineout in his first game since a detached hand ligament sidelined him two months ago. The Mets leadoff hitter lifted his average to .333 and his on-base percentage to .435.
Jordan Montgomery (3-3) stranded five Mets baserunners over the first three innings to keep it scoreless, but the visitors broke through in the fifth.
Nimmo hit a one-out single, Francisco Lindor followed with another and Dominic Smith scored Nimmo from second with a single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.
Montgomery walked Pete Alonso to load the bases and was replaced by Lucas Luetge. James McCann made it 2-0 with a broken-bat single, and Smith scored from third on a wild pitch for a three-run lead before Luetge ended the inning.
The Mets batted around during a five-run sixth inning that included a two-run double by Smith and another two-run hit by Kevin Pillar. All the runs were charged to Justin Wilson.
Smith had three hits and three RBIs, and Lindor had two hits and two walks.
Yankees reliever Michael King allowed two inherited runners to score but was credited with four scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
Yankee Stadium was filled nearly to capacity despite sporadic showers after Friday’s scheduled opener was postponed by rain. Blue and orange was well represented.
Some Yankees fans tried to drown out “Let’s go Mets” chants with boos, but they had little to cheer about themselves. The Yankees’ follies were frustratingly familiar — a passed ball by catcher Gary Sánchez, an error by shortstop Gleyber Torres, and of course, the lack offense from anyone besides Judge.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: LHP David Peterson has a right oblique strain and is week to week. … RHP Carlos Carrasco, sidelined since March with a torn right hamstring, could join the rotation in late July or early August. … RHP Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) resumed playing catch about a week ago and is throwing out to 75 feet. … INF Jonathan Villar (strained right calf) could rejoin the team Sunday.
Yankees: A series of tests have ruled out several potentially serious causes for OF Clint Frazier’s bout of vertigo this week, but he is slated for more evaluation next week. Frazier left Wednesday’s game against the Angels with dizziness and was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday. Manager Aaron Boone said tests so far have not found a connection between the vertigo and a concussion Frazier had three years ago that hampered him for an entire season, but the team needs to do more testing to rule out a link. … LHP Zack Britton (hamstring) threw off a mound Saturday. He’s eligible to return from the IL on Monday.
UP NEXT
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (8-4, 2.66) will pitch the opener of Sunday’s split-doubleheader against Mets RHP Marcus Stroman (6-6, 2.45). Neither team was decided on a starter for the nightcap, although the Yankees are likely to go with LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. (0-0, 1.02). The Mets had initially said rookie Tylor Megill (0-0, 4.82) would pitch, but they are now considering saving him for Monday’s nine-inning game against Milwaukee.
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