Mark Teixeira homers twice as Yankees snap Mets 11-game winning streak

If the New York Mets are to make history this season, it will have to wait, because the New York Yankees weren’t having any part of it on Friday night.

In the first-ever Subway Series battle that featured both teams entering play in first place, the Yankees dismissed the Mets bid for a franchise record 12th straight win with a 6-1 victory.

The victory was the Yankees seventh in their last eight games, which includes a sweep in Tampa Bay and taking three of four in Detroit. That officially makes them the hottest team in the American League. It also snapped the Mets 11-game winning streak, which matched the franchise record set in 1990.

The Yankees rode the hot bat of Mark Teixeira, who launched a pair of two-run home runs off Mets’ starter Jacob deGrom, and the right arm of Michael Pineda, who improved to 3-0 with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball.  

[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]

For all intents and purposes, Pineda had all the offense he needed when Teixeira connected for his first-inning home run. That gave New York a two-run advantage four batters into the game. The Yankees added four more in the third. Jacoby Ellsbury started the inning with a homer. Three batters later, Teixeira added his second big fly, this time scoring Alex Rodriguez. From there, the Yankees loaded the bases with one out and added one more on a Stephen Drew sacrifice fly. 

Pineda, who allowed just one baserunner in the first four innings, continued mowing down a previously relentless and resilient Mets’ offense. Obviously, Masahiro Tanaka’s bounce back in his last two starts is the most encouraging sign from the Yankees rotation. If Pineda can build on this strong start and finally prove to be healthy, suddenly those rotation questions begin to clear up a bit. Still too many ifs right now, but more encouraging ifs at least.  

Chasen Shreve recorded the final four outs to lock up the win. Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Brian McCann all had two hits in a strong showing atop the lineup. 

[Check out Big League Stew on Tumblr for even more baseball awesomeness.]

For the Mets, it was just one of those nights at the office that happens throughout the season. Coming in, Jacob deGrom had only allowed multiple home runs in one other major-league start. That was his second career start last season against the Los Angeles Angels. Overall, he’s not a home run pitcher, having allowed just seven in 140 innings as a rookie. But he was victimized here by the short porch in right field and an offense that’s clicking after a slow start to the season. 

Offensively, they just need to tip their cap to Pineda, who was locked in from pitch one, and look ahead to CC Sabathia on Saturday afternoon. They’ll counter with Matt Harvey, so they have to feel good about avoiding a losing streak fresh off this significant winning streak. 

Round two, by the way, begins at 4;05 ET and it should be a fun one. 

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813