Yanks handle Mets, spoiling Juan Soto's return to Bronx

Carlos Rodon issued three walks to Juan Soto in the slugger's hostile return to Yankee Stadium and pitched five innings as the host New York Yankees opened the Subway Series with a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.

Soto heard boos throughout the night, from the time he began warming up before the game and when he was introduced in the starting lineup. The booing intensified during each plate appearance for the slugger, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets after hitting 41 homers in his lone season for the Yankees and tipped his helmet before the first plate appearance.

Rodon (5-3) worked around the free passes to Soto and five walks overall, allowing a run on two singles.

Rodon exited with a 6-1 lead thanks to Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, who combined for five of the Yankees' eight hits. Aaron Judge singled twice and ended the night with a .414 batting average.

Bellinger had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 while Goldschmidt accounted for two runs in the third and another in the fourth.

Goldschmidt hit an RBI infield single to score Jorbit Vivas, who started the third-inning rally off New York's Tylor Megill (3-4) with a single. Judge scored the second run on the play when Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor committed a throwing error.

Bellinger scored the third run of the third on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Volpe after reaching on an infield hit. The Yankees scored their fourth run of the third on a bases-loaded walk by Oswald Peraza.

Goldschmidt added an RBI single through the drawn-in infield with the bases loaded in the fourth. Jasson Dominguez drove in Bellinger when he used his speed to avoid a double play on a grounder to second.

Five relievers followed Rodon, including Jonathan Loaisiga. Loaisiga pitched the sixth in his first appearance since April 3, 2024, after returning from an internal brace procedure on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

Brandon Nimmo had an RBI single in the fourth and Lindor hit an RBI single in the ninth for the Mets, who forced the Yankees to call on closer Luke Weaver to face Soto for the final out, which ended with the right-hander retiring the slugger for his fifth save.

Megill allowed four runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings and threw 39 pitches in the third before exiting. The right-hander struck out four and tied a career worst by allowing five walks.

--Field Level Media