The Yankees, despite the Mets’ best efforts to hand them a win, came up short in a walk-off loss on Wednesday night, putting a damper on a wild Subway Series moment.
With the Yankees leading 2-1 in the top of the seventh, Isiah Kiner-Falefa took a big lead off third base, nearly halfway down the baseline as Brooks Raley began his windup, and with seemingly no Mets teammates calling out to Raley to alert him, Kiner-Falefa darted for the plate, stealing home easily after Raley’s pitch home went high and tight on Billy McKinney and went to the backstop.
The steal of home came after Kiner-Falefa stole second and advanced to third after Francisco Alvarez’s throw skipped into the outfield, setting himself up to become the first Yankee to steal home since Didi Gregorius in 2016.
“I just timed it up right before he made a move,” Kiner-Falefa said. “I just committed, and the timing worked out perfectly. My instincts took over and I was able to make a play.
“I just couldn’t believe I did that in the big leagues, especially in this game. I wish the result would have been different, but it was a cool moment for myself. At the end of the day, it’s a tough loss.”
Kiner-Falefa had long waited for his chance to steal home, and on Wednesday night, thanks to Raley’s slow delivery to the plate, he got that opportunity.
“I’ve always tried. In high school I tried, in the minor leagues I tried, but never had the right opportunity,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Everything just aligned perfectly tonight. First time.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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