Gio Urshela blast keys Yankees split with Mets

Gio Urshela hit a three-run homer in the second inning and three pitchers combined on a three-hitter as the New York Yankees salvaged a split of their day-night doubleheader with a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets Sunday night at Yankee Stadium.

In their final home game before the All-Star break, the Yankees won for only the second time in nine games and stayed above .500 at 42-41. The Yankees blew a one-run lead in the opener when the Mets rallied for six runs in the seventh to get a 10-5 victory.

Gio Urshela, the most consistent of the Yankees this season, gave his team a 3-0 lead when he lined a 346-foot homer with nobody out in the second by hitting an 0-2 fastball from Corey Oswalt (1-1) into the first row of the right field seats.

It was Gio Urshela’s 11th home run and eighth that either tied the game or gave the Yankees a lead this season.

Pete Alonso sparked the Mets’ six-run seventh when he hit a game-tying home run off Aroldis Chapman in the opener and then hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Darren O’Day. It was the 30th time a Met homered in both ends of a doubleheader and first instance since Shawn Green in 2006.

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Alonso’s 15th homer, a drive to right field on a 0-1 fastball, occurred one batter after the Yankees pulled spot starter Nestor Cortes Jr.

In his third career start, Cortes allowed one run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings. He was lifted for O’Day after allowing a double to Dominic Smith on his 59th pitch.

O’Day recovered after allowing consecutive walks to James McCann and Michael Conforto. Chad Green (3-4), who threw two pitches in the opener, struck out six in three perfect innings to earn the win.

Green whiffed Jose Peraza and Brandon Nimmo in the fourth and fanned McCann to end the sixth. Gio Urshela Green then finished it off with strikeouts of Conforto, pinch hitter Jeff McNeil, and Jonathan Villar as Wandy Peralta warmed up instead of Chapman.

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Oswalt allowed three runs on four hits in four innings while throwing 65 pitches. Aaron Loup issued a pair of one-out walks in the fifth before Miguel Castro threw a wild pitch that allowed Brett Gardner to score and give the Yankees a 4-2 lead.

–Field Level Media