Three takeaways for the Yankees after the Subway Series
Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Yankees entered the weekend having just suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays and promptly dropped the first two games of the Subway Series, with Saturday’s sloppy 12-6 loss to the Mets particularly alarming. But they snapped their second six-game losing streak in the last three weeks on Sunday with a 6-4 win over the Mets.
Here are three takeaways from the Yankees’ series loss to the Mets:
1. The Yankees can exhale . . . for one day, at least
Max Fried, named to his third All-Star Game after his start on Sunday, was charged with three runs and allowed six hits in five innings-plus in improving to 11-2. It wasn’t anywhere close to his best start of the season, but he did what he’s done in the vast majority of his starts: give the Yankees a chance to win.
There was plenty to pick apart on Sunday, but a win is a win, which certainly beats the alternative going into Monday’s off day. And there were more positives than not.
Austin Wells, who has mostly struggled at the plate, homered for the second straight game and has 13 this season. After a miserable June, Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-5 and seems as if he might be getting his stroke back.
But one win doesn’t necessarily portend a turnaround for a Yankees team that had lost 16 of its last 22 games entering the day, a skid that put them three games behind the AL East-leading Blue Jays. The Yankees conclude the first half of the season with six games at home, but it’s six games against a pair of contending teams — the Mariners and Cubs.
2. The bullpen did little to quell the doubts
After Fried hit Brandon Nimmo to start the sixth, it was up to the beat-up — and beaten-up — bullpen to record the final 12 outs and protect the Yankees’ 5-2 lead. Until Devin Williams’ 1-2-3 ninth, it was far from easy.
The Mets pulled within 5-4 against Jonathan Loaisiga (one run was charged to Fried, one was charged to Loaisiga) in the sixth. Mark Leiter Jr. hit Francisco Lindor with a pitch to begin the seventh before getting bailed out by a terrific double play started by leftfielder Cody Bellinger, who followed his shoestring catch on Juan Soto’s sinking liner by making a laser throw to Goldschmidt at first to double off Lindor.
“That was a game-saving play right there,” Aaron Judge said. “We’ll be seeing that highlight for a while.”
Tim Hill allowed a single by Ronny Mauricio to start the eighth. Brett Baty then ripped a one-hopper to Goldschmidt, who tagged Mauricio and stepped on first for an unconventional 3-3 double play.
Williams did record his 12th save in 13 chances, but it is not a stretch to say that — at the moment — Aaron Boone’s circle of trust when it comes to his relievers is the smallest of circles.
3. Anthony Volpe is still, in the words of one AL scout, “searching” at the plate
The third-year shortstop is going to feel the pressure on him increase if his second half resembles his first. After going 0-for-4 on Sunday, Volpe is in a 9-for-74 (.122) slide since June 15. Overall, he is batting .219 with a .296 on-base percentage.
Despite the clamoring from fans, top prospect George Lombard Jr. is not coming up from the minors. Lombard, 20, was promoted to Double-A only recently and hasn’t yet found much success there at the plate. But the key word is “yet.”
If Lombard does finish the year in Triple-A, which many scouts believe he will, and Volpe continues to crater in the second half, that could set up some uncomfortable conjecture about the position in the offseason and into next spring training.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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