The Mets and Yankees wrapped up the 2023 Subway Series on Wednesday in a matchup between two southpaws at Yankee Stadium. José Quintana and Carlos Rodón, who both signed in New York this winter coming off strong 2022 seasons, started their seasons injured. Quintana made just his second start for the Mets while Rodón made his fourth. Quintana pitched well over six innings, but poor defense and some tough luck at the plate gave the Yankees a 3-1 win to split the two-game series and the four-game season series.

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The Yankees got the scoring started with two runs in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Oswald Peraza hit a ground ball to Mark Vientos at third base. Vientos’ easiest play was to take the force out at third base, and he may have had a play at home, but he went to second base. Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ stolen base leader, beat the throw and the bases remained loaded with just one out. Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

After the Mets answered in the third with a run of their own on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Nimmo, they gave the run back in the fourth on some more sloppy defense. Harrison Bader led off the inning with a slow ground ball to third base. Vientos’ throw was wild, allowing the Yankees’ centerfielder to get to second base. With Bader taking a big lead, Danny Mendick ran to the base for a pickoff play. Quintana threw a pitch with Mendick out of position, and Volpe lined an RBI single to the vacated hole to restore the Yankees’ two-run lead. Jeff McNeil inexplicably threw home despite not having any play on Bader, and Volpe took second base on the throw. Fortunately for the Mets, Quintana was able to strand the runner on second by retiring the next three Yankees.

After the shaky start, Quintana went six innings in the start and threw 94 pitches, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out five.

“He just competes,” Buck Showalter said of Quintana following the game. “Tonight was a good example. He kept us in the ballgame. A lot of guys would not have got that deep in the game after those first couple of innings.”

Despite the poor defense hurting the Mets early in the game, they made two strong defensive plays behind Quintana to keep themselves in the game. Leading off the bottom of the fifth,  Gleyber Torres hit a ball that appeared to be heading for the front row beyond the right field fence. McNeil made a leaping catch to take a home run away and keep the deficit at two. One inning later, Francisco Álvarez blocked a ball in the dirt and caught DJ LeMahieu in a rundown between third and home to end the inning and get Quintana out of a jam to finish his night.

The Mets did not fare much better offensively, but it was not a result of poor at-bats. The Mets hit multiple balls hard, with everyone in the lineup but Mendick hitting a ball with an exit velocity of at least 100 mph. On those eight balls, they went just 2-for-8 with two singles. Ironically, Mendick had the Mets’ lone extra-base hit on a 96 mph line drive down the right field line for a double.

“We had a couple of flares fall in yesterday too,” Showalter said. “It never seems to even out, but you don’t dwell on it. We had a couple of opportunities there against Rodón, but we didn’t cash them in.”

The Mets got two hitless innings out of the bullpen from Drew Smith and Trevor Gott, which is an encouraging sign given their recent struggles, but the offense never got anything going against the Yankees’ bullpen. Four Yankee relievers combined for 3 1/3 perfect innings to close out the Mets’ 3-1 loss. The loss dropped the Mets to 47-54 and 7.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: JOSÉ QUINTANA

While his defense did not give him much support, Quintana turned in his second consecutive solid outing to begin his season. The Colombian left-hander held the Yankees to just three runs, two earned, over six innings and gave the Mets a chance to win. His first two innings did not look promising, but Quintana was able to settle down and give the Mets a quality start.

ON DECK

The Mets return home to begin a four-game series with the Washington Nationals on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field. Two first-time All-Stars will be matching up as Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.27 ERA) will start for the Mets against Josiah Gray (7-8 3.45 ERA) for the Nationals.

Senga made one start against the Nationals on April 26, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out seven. Gray made his lone start against the Mets of the season the day prior, pitching six brilliant innings. The right-hander held the Mets scoreless on just four hits while striking out nine.

The game will be broadcasted on SNY and nationally on MLB Network, and the radio call will be on WCBS 880.