It was mostly a weekend to forget for the New York Mets in the Bronx.

The Mets and the Yankees met for the second Subway Series of the year, with the series opener taking place on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The pregame ceremony made for an emotional event, with both the Mets and the Yankees doing New York proud.

On the field, the Mets lost two out of three to drop this series. However, the two city rivals split the yearly series three games apiece, with both teams winning the three-game series they hosted.

On that note, let’s recap everything from the weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

STATEMENT GAME

Zac Thornton rose to the occasion. The rookie was sensational in his Subway Series debut, providing seven innings of two-run ball while allowing five hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Thornton was also incredibly efficient, needing fewer than 12 pitches per inning. The lefty continues to show his mental fortitude. Coming off his worst start of the year, Thornton largely shut down the contending Yankees. No matter what is thrown his way, he takes it in stride and seems to thrive under pressure. Thornton’s resiliency and mental toughness, along with his talent, could well make him a big part of the 2027 roster.

YANKEES KILLER

Francisco Lindor entered the weekend hitting .310/.388/.569 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs in 61 career games against the Yankees. Well, the shortstop gave the Bronx Bombers more nightmares in this series, including a monster day on Saturday. Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a grand slam, finishing with five RBIs to lead the Mets to a big win. More importantly, he’s looking more like his old self offensively.

DO IT ALL CARSON

Carson Benge continues to show that he’s the real deal. The rookie seems to be able to do everything at such a high level, and he’s a thrill to watch. Benge broke his 18-game skid without a homer by hitting a solo blast on Saturday. He also made a superb diving catch to rob Aaron Judge in the same game. Benge is putting together an impressive all-round rookie season. He also plays the game the right way and is just so easy to root for. 

Nolan McLean by Berto Carlo

3 DOWN

NOT MEETING THE MOMENT

Nolan McLean laid an egg in his Subway Series debut. The rookie struggled, allowing five earned runs on a career-high 10 hits. He also gave up a homer on his curveball for the first time in his career, with Cody Bellinger‘s three-run home run proving to be the difference. McLean didn’t have it, and while not a big game for the Mets, he will want to return to form when it comes to pitching on the big stage.

HOT AND COLD

Offense, or a lack of it, proved to be the Mets’ undoing in the Bronx. The lineup managed just four runs and seven hits in the series opener, while going 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, leaving seven runners stranded on base. Of course, the offense exploded in the middle game of the series, before being shut out on Sunday for the 14th time this year. It seems this lineup, although improved, still has problems when facing great pitching.

NOT IMPROVING

We seem to talk about Francisco Alvarez in a negative light every week, but for good reason. The catcher seems to be going backwards. He went a combined 1-for-6 with one walk and two strikeouts in two games against the Yankees. He struggles with runners in scoring position, he swings at everything, and there just seems to be no tangible improvement. There should now be real concern for the Mets as it pertains to just how much they can rely on Alvarez in 2027 and beyond.