Pete Alonso didn’t sugarcoat it. After a brutal throwing error opened the floodgates in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 8-2 loss to the Yankees, the All-Star first baseman took full responsibility.

“I messed it up,” Alonso said. “I just made an awful throw. That whole inning, this game, it’s on me. After that throw, the momentum got out of hand. They had really good at-bats. This one’s on me. It stinks.”

With the Subway Series finale tied 2-2, the Mets looked poised to escape the eighth unscathed. But when rookie Jorbit Vivas hit a chopper to Alonso with runners on second and third, Jasson Domínguez broke for home. Alonso had a clean shot at him but air-mailed the throw, allowing the go-ahead run to score. From there, the inning spiraled.

Yankees slugger Paul Goldschmidt followed with an RBI single. Then Cody Bellinger stepped in and crushed a grand slam off Genesis Cabrera, his ninth career slam, to bury the Mets in an avalanche of runs. What was a tight, well-pitched game suddenly turned into a six-run frame for the Yankees and a series-clinching win.

Yankees blow the Mets up in the Subway Series finale

New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) looks on from first base during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
John Jones-Imagn Images

The error was a turning point, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza didn’t hold back.

“From my view, a good throw would’ve had him,” Mendoza said. “Pete knows it. That was the play.”

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The blunder overshadowed a well-pitched outing from both sides. David Peterson and Yankees ace Max Fried each went six innings, allowing just three hits apiece. Fried struck out eight and worked around early trouble to keep the Yankees in it. He’s now 6-0 with a 1.29 ERA, emerging as an early Cy Young candidate. Jorbit Vivas, who entered as a defensive sub, battled through an 11-pitch at-bat against Ryan Stanek before putting the ball in play. His gritty approach was pivotal.

“He’s throwing 100 miles [per hour], so I don’t want to do too much,” Vivas said. “I just want to put the ball in play and help the team.”

Bellinger praised the rookie: “One hundred percent won us the game. That at-bat set the tone.” With the win, the Yankees (27-19) moved further ahead in the AL East, while the Mets (29-18) remained tied with the Dodgers for the most wins in the National League. The Yankees’ offseason acquisitions came up big—Fried, Goldschmidt, Bellinger, and Devin Williams all played major roles in the series.

For Alonso, the error stings even more because of how well he’s played this season. But his willingness to own the moment speaks volumes.

“Sometimes you’re the hero. Tonight, I wasn’t,” Alonso said.

The Mets and Yankees will renew their city rivalry again July 4-6 at Citi Field. If this weekend was any indication, fireworks are guaranteed.