Big Apple Battles: Greatest Subway Series Moments

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16 May 2025 14:00

The annual New York baseball showdown has seen its ebbs and flows since interleague play was created over 25 years ago. Recently, with both teams profiling as contenders, it’s felt a lot more like the late 90s and early 2000s.

When it began in 1997, it was more than just a novelty. City bragging rights were on the line, and the stakes were heightened further when the teams met in the World Series just a few years later. The energy is almost always electric, and this weekend is certainly no exception, providing another chance to etch new moments into Subway Series history.

June 16, 1997

The inaugural regular-season meeting turned into Dave Mlicki‘s finest hour.

The 29-year-old started this historic meeting and proceeded to become the only Met to throw a shutout at Yankee Stadium—current or previous. Although he allowed nine hits and two walks over 119 pitches and managed to record a 1-2-3 inning just once, he struck out eight and avoided trouble.

Bernard Gilkey scored three times, with his initial run coming on a John Olerud first-inning double off Andy Pettitte as the Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead. They added two more on Olerud’s seventh-inning single and another on Gilkey’s ninth-inning sac fly. The Yankees had more traffic on the bases in the ninth, but despite three singles, Mlicki preserved his scoreless effort—striking out Derek Jeter to finish off the 5-0 victory.

July 10, 1999

Mariano Rivera and the Yankees had won 124 straight times after taking a lead into the eighth. That wasn’t going to stop the Mets, even if they had to overcome six home runs.

A Mike Piazza 482-foot moon shot in the seventh was countered by the power of Yankee bats.

Down to their final out and behind by a run, Matt Franco helped defy the odds. His bases-loaded single to right field brought in Rickey Henderson and Edgardo Alfonso to put an exclamation point on a 9-8 win that remains arguably the best Mets victory of the Subway Series era.

Rivera came out of the bullpen in the ninth, a situation that often preceded Yankee victories. Franco hit for Melvin Mora and fell into an 0-2 hole. After taking a ball that was questionable at best, he swung at the next pitch and hit one that went through the hole between first and second. Paul O’Neill‘s throw was too late, and the Mets had ensured a series victory over the Bronx Bombers for the first time.

July 8, 2000

It was no secret that Piazza owned Roger Clemens, with seven hits and three home runs in 12 at-bats. It was also no secret that Clemens threw hard and inside. In the top of the second during the nightcap of a two-stadium doubleheader, Piazza stepped in. “The Rocket” used this intimidation tactic, only he took it too far. A 92 mph fastball veered toward Piazza’s head. The Mets catcher ducked, but the ball struck him square near the brim of his helmet. Piazza fell onto his back, eyes closed at first, and then opened. His expression was blank.

“I really can’t say I have respect for him right now,” Piazza said. It set the stage for Act II a few months later.

2000 World Series

It was Yankees in five, but it could’ve been so much different. Poor base running and a blown save by Armando Benitez were costly in a heartbreaking 12-inning Game 1 loss. Then came the Clemens-Piazza rematch, broken bat toss and all.

It was a no-win scenario for the Mets. Clemens inexplicably never received retribution and went eight shutout innings. The Mets came to Shea Stadium down 2-0 and scratched out a win behind great pitching from Rick Reed and late offense from Benny Agbayani and Todd Zeile. They were back in the series, but just for a day. Jeter homered on the first pitch of Game 4, and Al Leiter was the tough-luck loser as the resourceful Yankees rallied to take Game 5 and the series. Piazza’s series-ending fly out to Bernie Williams in deep center field was the best indication the Mets were close, but not close enough.

June 15, 2002

Roger Clemens wore No. 22 on his back. It might as well have been a target. The ire of most Shea Stadium fans and most Mets personnel was ready to be exercised. With no universal DH rule in sight, and him returning as a starting pitcher in a National League park, retribution came two years too late. Shawn Estes would deliver the payback in the top of the third for one of the more highly-anticipated pitcher at-bats.

Estes was on point all day, walking one and fanning 11 over seven shutout frames, but this was a time he missed as his pitch sailed behind Clemens. Never was a strikeout so unsatisfying for so many. It turned out revenge was a dish best served at the plate. Estes took him deep in the fifth, and so did Piazza an inning later during the 8-0 victory.

May 21, 2005

Dae-Sung Koo had no fear facing Randy Johnson, or he didn’t know any better. The 35-year-old pitcher stepped into the batter’s box from the left side. Unlike most hitters, he made contact to deep center field. It went out of the reach of Williams, and Koo ended up with a double to the incredible joy of David Wright, among others. Some 55,800 fans at Shea witnessed a miracle of sorts.

Then José Reyes bunted, seemingly to advance Koo 90 feet. With Yankees catcher Jorge Posada lingering away from the plate, Koo (wearing a jacket and having a weighted ball in his pocket) broke for home. Showing base running intrepidness not seen in ages, he dove head-first to avoid Posada’s tag. Did Posada get him in time? Video says yes. Umpire Chuck Meriwether said no, though.

May 19, 2006

It’s an enduring memory of Wright. He faced Rivera with the score sitting at 6-6 in the bottom of the ninth. On a 2-2 pitch, Rivera threw his patented cutter down in the strike zone. The Mets’ future captain delivered a signature moment in his young career, and the team was on its way to a division title.

As it went deep into center field, Wright leapt several times while the ball drifted toward the warning track. Johnny Damon couldn’t get it. Paul Lo Duca scored to ensure a thrilling victory in one of the best Subway Series games ever. It was also a series that carried extra significance for the Mets, as it came in the midst of their best regular season since the start of the decade coupled with the emergence of a new face of the franchise.

June 27, 2008

Carlos Delgado came out of a slump in historic fashion by setting the Mets’ single-game record for RBIs in a 15-9 rout. This was the opener of a cross-town, two-stadium doubleheader, but Delgado helped make Yankee Stadium feel like Shea. With the score tied at four, Delgado drove in two with a fifth-inning double into the right field corner. His next opportunity came in the sixth with the bases loaded. One swing turned a relatively close game into a blowout on a no-doubt grand slam to right center.

His 443rd career homer put him ahead of Dave Kingman on the all-time list, the same man who previously held the single-game franchise mark for RBIs. The contest was 12-5 in the eighth, but Delgado didn’t ease up. Locking in on a LaTroy Hawkins pitch, he rocketed it into the right field stands that were now half-empty, and many of those who remained were happy.

June 12, 2009

You know the Subway Series has weight when a regular season loss still stings. I needed a drink just to help while researching on Baseball Reference. For those who saw it, I’m sorry. For those actually at Yankee Stadium, I’m really sorry. For those who were lucky to miss it, don’t watch. Here it is in excruciating detail.

The Yankees trailed by one and were down to their last out with runners on first and second as Francisco Rodríguez graced the mound. Alex Rodriguez popped it up in the vicinity of second baseman Luis Castillo, who drifted to his left for an easy game-ending catch … not.

It clanked off the heel of his glove. Jeter scored, as did Mark Teixeira. Yankees 9, Mets 8. The career of Castillo, as well as the ’09 season, never recovered.

May 28, 2013

Matt Harvey continued his stellar first full season with ten strikeouts and one run allowed, but encountered tough luck.

Hiroki Kuroda’s seven shutout innings, followed by David Robertson’s easy eighth, made Harvey prime for a loss. That Yankee lead disappeared after a rare spurt of Amazin’ offense, however. The Mets honored Rivera in his farewell season by having him toss out the series finale’s honorary first pitch. He also threw the last pitch—but this time, the only ceremony was to initiate a Mets win.

He came back onto the Citi Field mound with the Yanks up 1–0 in the ninth. When he left, the Yankees had lost 2-1 and Rivera didn’t record an out. Three straight hits by Daniel Murphy, Wright and Lucas Duda engineered the game-ending rally.

September 12, 2021

This game rekindled the tension and combativeness of the Subway Series. The Mets opened the three-game set with a 10-run outburst, followed the next night by an emotional 8-7 Yankees victory on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Then came the finale: also known as Francisco Lindor‘s first signature Mets moment.

For all his struggles during his initial season in Queens, this night was a turning point. His home run in the second turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. His next long ball in the sixth increased the Met lead to two. After exchanging words with the opposition (with support from Javy Báez) an inning later, Lindor backed up the talk with more action: a tie-breaking blast to deep right field that put his team in front for good in the eighth.

June 25-26 & July 23-24, 2024

The Yankees hold a 84-67 advantage dating back to ’97. The Mets, however, have had the edge of late, including last season’s four-game sweep. Outscoring them 36-14 and hitting 13 homers, it was just the second time the orange and blue went unbeaten against the Bombers in a single season.

How well did it go for the Mets? Lefty reliever Jake Diekman, sporting an ERA of 5.63, was given the chance to face Aaron Judge in the ninth inning of a 3-2 game…and struck him out. Just like we all thought he would.

The finale was a Mets party in the Bronx: a 12-3 victory at Yankee Stadium in which Gerrit Cole was inefficient for the second time on the year while Lindor hit two homers and drove in five.

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