Gary Sanchez homered and matched a career high with five RBIs, Luis Severino got right back on track and the New York Yankees made it a four-game sweep in the Subway Series with a 7-5 victory Thursday night over the Mets.
Sanchez hit a three-run homer off struggling starter Steven Matz in the first inning and a two-run single in the fourth. Brett Gardner broke his 3-for-29 slump with a two-run double, and the Yankees won twice at Citi Field just as they did back home in the Bronx earlier this week.
Four games behind first-place Boston in the AL East, the Yankees begin a three-game series Friday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox took two of three last weekend when the longtime rivals played at Yankee Stadium.
Curtis Granderson hit his seventh career grand slam off Bryan Mitchell in the ninth, pulling the Mets to 7-5. Dellin Betances was immediately summoned and got three quick outs for his eighth save.
Since interleague play began in 1997, it was only the third time one team swept the season series between these New York counterparts. The Yankees won all six meetings in 2003, and the Mets went 4-0 in 2013.
Severino (10-5) was working on a two-hit shutout with one out in the seventh when Aaron Judge dropped a fly ball in the right-field corner for a two-base error. The All-Star righty never got another out, throwing a wild pitch and giving up two straight singles before he was removed.
In his previous outing Saturday, the 23-year-old Severino had the worst start of his career. He allowed 10 runs, eight earned, and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings during a 10-5 loss to Boston.
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Before that, Severino was 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in a span of six games.
Matz (2-7) was unable to turn things around, dropping to 0-6 in his last nine starts. The left-hander hasn't won since June 28 at Miami.
He was his own worst enemy Thursday, throwing away Gardner's comebacker for a two-base error to begin the game. Aaron Hicks walked and, after Judge struck out for the 34th consecutive game, Sanchez hit his third home run against the Mets this week.
Severino's bunt single in the fourth, his first major league hit, loaded the bases. Gardner doubled to left field off Matz, and Sanchez hit a two-run single on the first pitch from reliever Chasen Bradford later in the inning.
Matz gave up seven hits in 3 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs for the second time in a month. Six were earned.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: All-Star 2B Starlin Castro (strained right hamstring) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the same day DH Matt Holliday (back) reports to Class-A Tampa to start playing rehab games. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said closer Aroldis Chapman probably would be unavailable for the second consecutive night. Chapman's hamstring tightened up as he saved Tuesday's win. ... 1B Garrett Cooper went on the 10-day DL with tendinitis in his left hamstring. ... 1B-3B Chase Headley was rested. ... RHP Masahiro Tanaka (shoulder inflammation) did not throw a pregame bullpen as originally planned, but Girardi said everything was fine. The Yankees hope Tanaka can come off the DL during next week's series in Detroit.
Mets: The next rehab outing for closer Jeurys Familia will probably be Saturday with Class-A St. Lucie, manager Terry Collins said. Familia pitched a scoreless inning for St. Lucie on Wednesday in his first appearance since surgery for a blood clot in his shoulder. ... SS Jose Reyes was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a sore left ribcage. Fellow infielder Wilmer Flores remained out of the lineup with a similar injury. Flores planned to work out before the game, and the team decided not to put him on the DL. But he wasn't expected to be available off the bench, Collins said. Both players sat out Wednesday as well.
REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE
The Mets recalled infielders Matt Reynolds and Gavin Cecchini from Triple-A Las Vegas. Reynolds started at third base and had two hits, including an RBI single off Severino in the seventh. RHP Kevin McGowan was optioned to Las Vegas.
UP NEXT
Yankees: Rookie LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-6, 3.94 ERA) pitches the series opener Friday night at Fenway Park against Boston LHP Drew Pomeranz (12-4, 3.39). Montgomery has permitted only one run in three of his past four starts, including a solid effort over 5 1/3 innings Sunday night against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Mets: Giancarlo Stanton brings his home run show to the Big Apple when Miami visits Friday night. Stanton leads the majors with 44 homers. "He's hurt us enough in the past to know that he can be so dangerous," Collins said. "We're going to try to be very, very careful with him." Stanton said he would enjoy facing new Mets closer AJ Ramos, traded by the Marlins late last month. The big slugger said his former teammate told him he's going to cool off his bat. "It'll be funny facing him. We've been talking trash to each other," Stanton said.
