All aboard! Mets and Yankees only 2 stops away from first Subway Series in 24 years

NEW YORK (AP) — Two stops away from a Subway Series.

When the New York Yankees advanced to the American League Championship Series on Thursday night, that put both Big Apple teams in baseball's final four for the first time in 24 years. Francisco Lindor and the New York Mets had already punched their NLCS ticket by beating Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Four more wins for each club and they'd meet in the World Series for the second time, following the 2000 Subway Series won by Derek Jeter and the Yankees.

“I don't even know what the city would do, man. It would just almost explode,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said with a laugh Friday.

“It would be a blast, there's no question about it. Like, it would be a dream kind of scenario. So, I would enjoy the heck out of it and it would be a story that you would tell for the rest of your life.”

Nimmo and the Mets worked out Friday at Citi Field. They begin the best-of-seven NL Championship Series on Sunday in Los Angeles against the NL West champion Dodgers.

Aaron Judge and the Yankees will play Cleveland or Detroit in the ALCS starting Monday night at Yankee Stadium. The Guardians and Tigers were tied 2-all going into Game 5 of their ALDS on Saturday afternoon in Cleveland.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Judge said after Thursday night’s Division Series clincher in Kansas City. “It’s going to be a fun time in New York, man."

If the NLCS goes five games, there will be a playoff matchup scheduled in New York City every day next week from Monday through Friday — the first two days at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and the next three at Citi Field in Queens.

“I think it’s amazing that we have two New York teams left,” Nimmo said. “New York has always seemed like a baseball town to me, and so the vibe that’s going around here right now is unbelievable, and definitely feeling the high that the city is on.”

Both teams have players who grew up in the area, including Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, Mets reliever Adam Ottavino and Mets center fielder Harrison Bader, who played for the Yankees from 2022-23.

“Hopefully we see each other,” Mets rookie manager Carlos Mendoza said on a Zoom call from Citi Field. “It would be an unbelievable experience.”

Mendoza spent the previous 15 years in the Yankees organization — the past four as manager Aaron Boone’s bench coach across town.

He said he watched the Bronx Bombers beat the Royals 3-1 on Thursday night behind ace Gerrit Cole to win the best-of-five Division Series in four games and reach their fourth ALCS in eight years.

“I texted a lot of people. There’s a lot of people that I have a lot of respect for,” Mendoza said. “And it’s just great. It’s great for baseball, it’s great for the city of New York that the two teams are in this position and with a really good opportunity to continue to move forward.”

The Yankees are in the ALCS for the 19th time, but they haven't captured a pennant since winning their 27th World Series title in 2009.

“They are a really good team. They have a really good manager and they have really good players. That’s a deep roster there,” Mendoza said. “They deserve this.”

The Mets are in the NLCS for the ninth time and first since reaching the 2015 World Series, which they lost to Kansas City. They are chasing the franchise's third World Series championship and first since 1986.

During the regular season, the Mets swept all four Subway Series meetings from their crosstown rivals, winning twice in each ballpark and outscoring them 36-14 overall.

“The Mets have had an incredible season,” Judge said. “It’s going to be fun to look forward to down the road getting a chance to face them again.”

When the Yankees beat the Mets in the 2000 World Series, clinching in Game 5 at old Shea Stadium as Jeter took MVP honors, it was the 14th Subway Series in New York City but the first since 1956, when Don Larsen pitched a perfect game to help the Yankees knock off the Brooklyn Dodgers.

This year, the wild-card Mets and AL East champion Yankees have baseball’s two biggest payrolls at more than $300 million apiece.

Both clubs missed the playoffs in 2023, the first time that happened in nine years.

“For the city of New York and for the two fan bases, it would be like a dream come true," Mendoza said. "So again, don’t want to get too far ahead, but the fact that the two teams are in it, in a position to do something special, is a great feeling for a lot of people, especially for us with the Mets and then for the Yankees as well.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Colin Braley)

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate in the clubhouse following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates in the clubhouse following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates with teammates in the clubhouse following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series and move on to the ALCS Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The New York Mets pose for a group photo on the field after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate after defeating the Kansas City Royals 3-1 in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series and move on to the ALCS Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Members of the New York Yankees celebrate following a 3-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of an American League Division baseball playoff series Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto outdueled Yu Darvish in a historic playoff matchup of Japanese-born starters, and the Los Angeles Dodgers got home runs from Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández to beat the San Diego Padres 2-0 on Friday and advance to the National League Championship Series.

Yamamoto allowed two hits over five innings for the Dodgers before being pulled after 63 pitches in a decisive Game 5 between heated NL West rivals who were meeting in a Division Series for the third time in five years.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers will play the wild-card New York Mets in the best-of-seven NLCS starting Sunday night in Los Angeles.

"We’re ready for the next level, and obviously the Mets are playing great baseball,” Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers won a decisive Game 5 at home for the first time since taking a 1981 NL Division Series against Houston after a season split into halves following a players' strike.

Boasting the majors’ best regular-season record of 98-64, they successfully avoided a third straight NLDS elimination.

“We went through a lot of injuries, a lot of ups and a lot of downs. We fight, we fight and keep going,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts said. “All season everybody says the Dodgers are winning the World Series, the Dodgers are winning the World Series. And we get to this series, and all of a sudden we’re the underdog.”

The Padres’ big hitters went bust with their season on the line. Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado were 1 for 14 in Game 5 as Los Angeles pitchers retired their last 19 batters.

San Diego went scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series, dropping the last two games after taking a 2-1 lead back home.

Yamamoto and Darvish were the first Japanese-born starting pitchers to square off in major league playoff history. The 26-year-old Yamamoto was the fifth rookie to start a winner-take-all game in Dodgers history.

Yamamoto handed the ball to a stellar bullpen that carried the Dodgers during the regular season when their starters were hit hard by injuries. Evan Phillips got five outs, fanning Profar and Machado in the seventh before Alex Vesia whiffed rookie standout Jackson Merrill to end the inning.

Vesia was warming up for the eighth when he exited with an injury. Michael Kopech came on and worked a perfect inning before Blake Treinen got three quick outs for his third career postseason save and second of the series.

With that, the NL West champs spilled out of the dugout for hugs and then headed back into their clubhose for another celebration.

“Anytime you’re smelling like champagne, it means you’re doing something good,” Betts said.

Tatis grounded out to end it as Kiké Hernández made the play after moving from center field to third base for the ninth.

Darvish, the 38-year-old childhood idol of Ohtani, gave up an early home run to Kiké Hernández, then set down 14 in a row. Teoscar Hernández’s homer chased Darvish in the seventh and made it 2-0.

The Padres and Dodgers combined to retire 26 consecutive batters — the longest streak in a single game in postseason history.

Darvish gave up two runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings, struck out four and walked one.

Darvish and Ohtani teamed to help win last year’s World Baseball Classic for Japan, but they were rivals Friday. Ohtani struck out three times, including twice against Darvish in a game watched on Saturday morning in Japan.

Ohtani hit a tying three-run homer in Game 1, his playoff debut, but was mostly quiet the rest of the series after becoming the first player in major league history to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

The teams combined to score 43 runs in the first five games of the series, but the winner-take-all finale was a tense pitching affair in front of a sellout crowd of 53,183 that included Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and a Hollywood contingent of Brad Pitt, Rob Lowe, Bryan Cranston and Jimmy Kimmel.

The wild-card Padres ended the series by not scoring since the second inning of Game 3. They became the first team to lead 2-1 in a best-of-five series and fail to score in the final two games.

Yamamoto successfully covered first base three times after inducing grounders, making it easier on All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman who started after missing Game 4 with a sprained right ankle.

The Dodgers led 1-0 on the drive by Kiké Hernández with two outs in the second. It was the 14th career postseason homer for Hernández, who was brought back to the Dodgers this season to make an impact in October.

Los Angeles staved off elimination in San Diego with an 8-0 victory in Game 4 to force the deciding game back home, where fans tossing balls and trash on the field caused a 12-minute delay in a Game 2 loss. The public-address announcer warned fans in the middle of the fifth Friday not to throw objects or go on the field.

UP NEXT

The Dodgers are headed to the NLCS for the 16th time overall and first since 2021 when they lost to Atlanta in six games. Los Angeles went 4-2 against the Mets during the regular season.

The Padres head into the offseason with plenty of promise for next year. They challenged the Dodgers for the NL West title down to the final days of the regular season.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani applauds in the dugout during the second inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish gets a ball back as he pitches during the fifth inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (17) waits to bat as San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish, right, throws during the fifth inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, shakes hands with catcher Will Smith after San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded into a double play during the third inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani pops out during the third inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the third inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish, bottom center, throws to Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani during the first inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Kiké Hernández celebrates as he rounds first base following his solo home run during the second inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish throws to a Los Angeles Dodgers batter during the first inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Kiké Hernández celebrates as he rounds second base following his solo home run during the second inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Kiké Hernández (8) celebrates his solo home run with Shohei Ohtani, center, and Teoscar Hernández during the second inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws to a San Diego Padres batter during the second inning in Game 5 of a baseball NL Division Series Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)