The New York Yankees entered the weekend series losing 6 of their last 8 games, but for the New York Mets, that number was 3. The Bombers wanted Sunday’s game so bad that manager Aaron Boone emptied his entire bench by the bottom of the ninth and chose David Bednar as his closer. With just one out away from clinching the series, Bednar couldn’t deliver.

With two outs in the ninth, Bednar hung a breaking ball to let the Mets’ Tyrone Taylor score the game-tying home run. At the bottom of the frame, the Yankees were leading 6-3 when Taylor took Bednar 404 feet deep on the three-run shot. The one who has been struggling so far, entering Sunday with a .177 BA, forced the game to extra innings.

Rookie Carson Benge hit a game-ending bouncer in the 10th off Tim Hill that wound up in Max Schuemann’s gloves, as he became part of the Yankees’ 5-man infield. But Schuemann couldn’t get a throw off as Anthony Volpe was also going for the grounder and crashed into him.

Marcus Semien scored from third base without a play and slid into victory at 7-6. Benge celebrated his walk-off win with Juan Soto coming out of the dugout, chasing the rookie down the first-base line. Then came the rest of the team, pouring water on Benge as the Mets won a game that had only a 5% chance.

After losing 96 straight games when trailing in the eighth (including the postseason), the New York Mets finally broke that streak. It just doesn’t end there.

It was the largest ninth-inning deficit they had overcome in Subway Series history.

Against the Mets, Bednar gave up 3 runs on 2 hits. He posted a 4.98 ERA with a 1-3 record across 20 innings this season.

The Yankees were on the verge of recording their first win at Citi Field since 2018 before Bednar blew the save.

The closer struggled from the start, allowing singles to Benge and Bo Bichette, sparking a ninth-inning rally. But for the two outs of the inning, Bednar retired Juan Soto and Mark Vientos, bringing Taylor to the plate. Yet, the pattern was there.

The home run allowed by Bednar was the second that the closer has allowed on this road trip after he gave up a game-winning solo shot to Brice Turang and the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning on May 10. Both came on first-pitch curveballs in the zone. But the closer didn’t think Sunday had anything to do with “pitch selection.”

“I’ve had a lot of success with that pitch, and I trust my stuff implicitly. It’s more the position I put myself in.”

And guess the irony here!

The Yankees traded for Bednar at last year’s trade deadline after a disastrous start to the season for Devin Williams. Williams signed with the Mets in the offseason, closing out Saturday’s win for the home team. And Bednar could not return serve on Sunday. But it seemed like Bednar held himself accountable.

“Getting to two strikes on the first guy and not being able to put him away… Overall it’s unacceptable, especially in that spot, it’s just very frustrating.”

On a slow, 79-mph curveball from Bednar, Taylor’s three-run homer sent the match into extra innings. But for now, Bedbar wants to “get right back out there tomorrow,” and start winning games and not focus on the setbacks.

The Yankees also wasted multiple scoring chances throughout the game.

In the first inning, with two outs, Captain Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger walked, only for Jazz Chisholm Jr. to strike out, leaving them stranded.

Only Elmer Rodríguez recorded his best start so far.

Elmer Rodríguez shines despite the team’s loss

The New York Yankees promoted Elmer Rodríguez from Triple-A after optioning Luis Gil.

Rodríguez appeared shaky in his first two starts against the Texas Rangers. He gave up 4 and 6 hits in each of his previous starts. He even suffered from command issues, walking eight batters in 8.2 innings in those starts.

However, on Sunday, Elmer appeared to have resolved the issues that were troubling him.

He threw 4.1 innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 earned run, and 1 walk. Out of the 64 pitches he threw, 38 were strikes.

Rodríguez held the Mets batters to just 1 run in four innings. He was relieved by Ryan Yarbrough in the fifth inning. The young prospect now has a 4.15 ERA in his last three starts.

Now, as the Mets fought back to clinch the “awesome” win on Sunday, the Yankees will probably wait for a comeback at home in the next Subway Series, scheduled on September 11.