Starlin Castro hit a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees hardly resembled a team resigned to fading away after selling off their stars at the trade deadline, rallying past the Mets 6-5 on Monday night in their Subway Series opener.
Didi Gregorius hit a tying single with two outs in the eighth and new closer Dellin Betances worked out of a major jam for his first save this season. Hours after trading slugger Carlos Beltran and pitcher Ivan Nova before the non-waiver deadline, the Yankees snapped a four-game slide and won for the seventh time in the past nine meetings with their crosstown rivals.
Wilmer Flores and rookie Matt Reynolds homered for the skidding Mets, who lost their fifth in six games as fans in the sellout crowd of 42,125 traded chants throughout the night following a hectic afternoon at Citi Field.
Earlier in the day, the defending NL champions completed deals to land All-Star outfielder Jay Bruce and reacquire left-hander Jon Niese.
Jacoby Ellsbury drew a four-pitch walk from rookie Seth Lugo (0-1) leading off the 10th and went to second on Mark Teixeira's single. A fired-up Ellsbury beat Lugo's throw to third on pinch-hitter Ben Gamel's sacrifice, loading the bases.
Gregorius struck out, but Ellsbury scored easily when Castro hit a long fly to the right-center warning track.
Betances, now a closer after the Yankees traded predecessors Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller within the past week, came through in his first chance since those deals - but not without some tense moments.
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James Loney hit a leadoff double and the Mets had runners at the corners when Rene Rivera hit a comebacker for the second out. With two men in scoring position, Betances struck out Curtis Granderson on three pitches for his 11th career save.
Adam Warren (1-0) worked two hitless innings for his first win for the Yankees since they reacquired him from the Chicago Cubs in the Chapman trade.
Playing again without ailing slugger Yoenis Cespedes, the Mets took a 5-3 lead in the sixth when Reynolds - just recalled from the minors - connected for a three-run homer off CC Sabathia.
Gregorius fought back from an 0-2 count and tied it at 5 with a two-run single off setup man Addison Reed after his costly wild pitch in the eighth.
Reed had not allowed a run since June 25, a career-best streak that lasted more than 16 innings. During that stretch, he struck out 26 and gave up only seven hits.
The third-place Mets dropped to 2-6 on their nine-game homestand and lost for the ninth time in their last 11 at Citi Field.
Ellsbury and Brett Gardner both scored twice. Gardner hit an RBI double with two outs in the fifth, and Ellsbury followed with a run-scoring single that gave the Yankees a 3-1 advantage against starter Logan Verrett.
The Subway Series got off to a bang when the speedy Gardner hit the second pitch to the center-field fence 408 feet away and tried for an inside-the-park home run after the ball caromed away from Mets center fielder Justin Ruggiano.
Granderson, alertly backing up, started a 9-4-2 relay that cut down Gardner at the plate as he attempted to score with a headfirst slide.
MATZ BATS
With the banged-up Mets short on the bench, pitcher Steven Matz was sent up as a pinch-hitter in the sixth. He walked on a full count, ending Sabathia's night.
ROSTER MOVES
To replace Beltran and Nova on the roster, the Yankees recalled Gamel and RHP Nick Goody from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Goody retired No. 3 hitter Neil Walker on a shallow fly with the bases loaded to end the sixth, keeping the Yankees within two runs. ... Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said C Gary Sanchez, a touted prospect, is likely to be called up from the minors as soon as Wednesday. ... RHP Tyler Clippard, who pitched for the Mets in the World Series last season, made his first appearance for the Yankees since they reacquired him Sunday from Arizona. Clippard, who beat the Mets at Shea Stadium in his major league debut for the Yankees in May 2007, struck out two in a scoreless seventh inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: Hampered by a strained right quadriceps that's been nagging him for weeks, Cespedes sat out for the second consecutive game. ... Ruggiano exited in the fourth with a mild strain of his left hamstring, the team said. Alejandro De Aza moved from left field to center, and Michael Conforto entered in left. Conforto had an RBI double in the fifth against Sabathia, a rare hit off a left-hander. ... Reynolds started at shortstop after Asdrubal Cabrera sustained a strained patellar tendon in his left knee Sunday against Colorado. ... RHP Zack Wheeler (Tommy John surgery) threw a simulated game in Florida.
