The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by a husband and wife who both lost parents in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Sean McGuire and Brielle Saracini met in 2003 when they were 10 years old at a camp set up to support families affected by the tragedy.

Players laid a wreath at a 9/11 memorial in Monument Park before the game, a giant American flag was unfurled in the outfield for the national anthem, first responders were honored and the Mets and Yankees played a baseball game at Yankee Stadium Friday night on the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.

“There’s some things that are much bigger than just the game we have the privilege of playing and being a part of,” Andy Green said before the game. “I certainly hope our guys grab hold of the pomp and circumstance and realize what it’s all about today.”

As for the game, Nolan McLean, who had allowed four earned runs in his last five starts entering Friday, gave up that many in the first two innings and the Yankees beat the Mets 6-4 to even the season series at two games apiece.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

McLean (11-9) gave up a career-high 10 hits, walked one and struck out five over five innings. Cody Bellinger‘s three-run homer in the second inning was the first homer hit off McLean’s curveball in his 37th career start. Ben Rice took McLean deep to the opposite field in the fifth on a 95 mph sinker.

A.J. Ewing singled home a run in the seventh off ex-Met Paul Blackburn that pulled the Mets to within 5-2 and Francisco Alvarez followed with a walk that loaded the bases and prompted Aaron Boone to bring in lefty Brent Headrick to face Francisco Lindor with two outs.

Lindor lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle (87.6 mph exit velocity) and Headrick caught it, likely saving two runs.

In the eighth, Headrick walked Carson Benge to load the bases and Boone summoned closer David Bednar with one out to face Marcus Semien, who drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Jared Young flew out to center to end the inning.

Ewing homered off Bednar to lead off the ninth and a o

ne-out single by Lindor brought up Juan Soto as the tying run. Bednar got Soto to bounce into a game-ending 3-6-3 double play for his 33rd save.

Rookie Jack Weisenburger allowed one run on three hits over three innings. He struck out Bellinger and Aaron Judge back-to-back to end the seventh.

Christopher Morel drove in the first Met run with a groundout in the second inning.

Carlos Rodon (6-3) gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits over 6 1/3 innings, struck out eight and walked one.

Stat of the Game

Benge showed the arm again. He threw out Luis Garcia Jr. at second base on a ball that hit the right-field wall on one hop. Benge’s 10th outfield assist tied Cleon Jones (1966) for fourth in franchise history for rookies. The top three: Juan Lagares (15 in 2013), Rod Gaspar (12 in 1969) and Tsuyoshi Shinjo (12 in 2001).

Garcia lined a ball off the right-field wall in the eighth, stopped at first and smiled.

Player of the Game

Ewing extended his hitting streak to seven games. He’s 13-for-27 with two homers, two doubles and nine RBIs during the stretch.

On Deck

Zac Thornton (3-5, 3.53 ERA) will face Gerrit Cole (8-8, 3.41 ERA) at 1:35 p.m. ET on SNY, YES and MLB Network. The Mets beat Cole twice in 2024 and hit him hard. He gave up six earned runs in each outing and served up seven home runs in total, two to Mark Vientos in a 9-7 win and one to Lindor in a 12-3 victory.