Bellinger rescues Yankees to avoid Subway sweep

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees were seemingly in deep trouble Sunday when Juan Soto cracked a pitch to left field in the seventh inning.

The New York Mets, down two runs, were cooking up a rally with no outs. Francisco Lindor stood at first base, Pete Alonso loomed on deck and Brandon Nimmo was in the hole. This was the meat of the Mets' potent lineup. Given the Yankees' recent woes, fumbling their two-run lead and suffering a Subway Series sweep at the hands of their neighbors -- and a seventh straight loss -- felt almost fated.

Then Cody Bellinger charged Soto's sinking 105-mph line drive, made a shoestring catch and cerebrally fired a strike to first base for an improbable double play to change the course of a 6-4 skid-snapping win -- and perhaps rescue them from another dreadful outcome.

"Considering the context of this week and everything," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, "that's probably our play of the year so far."

Soto's line drive off Mark Leiter Jr. had just a 10% catch probability, according to Statcast, but Bellinger, a plus defender at multiple positions who started at first base on Saturday, was just able to snatch it before it touched the grass. Certain that he caught it clean, he fired an 89.9-mph toss that reached first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a line, over Lindor, who didn't slide into the bag.

"I saw it in the air and had a really good beat on it," said Bellinger, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk at the plate.

The Mets, stunned by the sequence, challenged the catch, but the call stood.

"That was incredible," said Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, who swatted his 33rd home run of the season in the fifth inning. "I've never seen something like that on the field."

For the last week, one Boone aptly described as "terrible" for his ballclub, poor defense has been an inescapable issue for the Yankees. Physical errors. Mental lapses. Near disasters. The sloppiness helped sink a depleted pitching staff during, more than offsetting the offense's strong production.

That combination produced the team's second six-game losing streak in three weeks and a three-game deficit in the American League East standings behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The surging Blue Jays won again Sunday to extend their winning streak to seven games and keep their division lead at three games, but Bellinger's glove and arm ensured it didn't grow to four.

"That was an unbelievable play," Goldschmidt said. "Amazing catch and absolute cannon to me at first. To make that play was a game-changing play, and potentially game-winning play for us today. And we needed it."