Overview

• The Mets claimed the first two Subway Series games at Citi Field, driven by Jeff McNeil’s go-ahead homer and diving catch on July 4 followed by Brandon Nimmo’s grand slam and Pete Alonso’s two homers on July 5, deepening the Yankees’ six-game skid.
• Toronto won 4–3 in 10 innings to stretch its season-high winning streak to six and open a two-game lead atop the AL East, fueled by Ernie Clement’s perfect bunt and collective buy-in under manager John Schneider.
• Houston’s 18–1 drubbing of the Dodgers marked the largest margin of defeat in Dodgers Stadium history and featured Lance McCullers Jr.’s rebound six-inning outing amid an offensive explosion of 20 hits and five home runs.
• Bizarre plays punctuated the week, from Shohei Ohtani’s comebacker ricocheting off McCullers’s foot into a 1-6 out to Anthony Volpe’s errant toss that struck Aaron Judge between innings and required a bandage.
• As teams jostle for position before the July 30 trade deadline, the Mets have rebounded from a late-June slump, the Yankees have lost control of the AL East, and the Blue Jays are off to their best 88-game start since 1992.