NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff McNeil hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off Luke Weaver in the seventh inning, leading the New York Mets over the Yankees 6-5 on Friday in a Subway Series opener between teams that faded badly after strong starts.

Juan Soto hit a two-run homer among three hits against his former team and Brett Baty connected for a solo shot in the sixth off Ian Hamilton that cut the Yankees’ lead to 5-4.

Weaver (1-3) relieved with two outs in the seventh and walked Pete Alonso. McNeil drove a changeup into the right-field upper deck at Citi Field, sending the Yankees to their fifth straight loss during a slide that dropped them from the AL East lead.

Jasson Domínguez ended a 32-game homerless streak, hitting a pair of opposite-field homers and driving in three runs. Domínguez and Judge hit back-to-back homers starting the game, Judge’s 32nd this year, and Cody Bellinger also went deep for the Yankees.

Huascar Brazobán (4-2) pitched a hitless seventh and Reed Garrett got six outs for his third save, helped by an outstanding defensive play from McNeil at second base in the ninth.

The Mets were a big league-best 45-24 on June 12 and the Yankees 42-25 but the Mets are 6-14 since and the Yankees 6-15.

With 13 Mets pitchers on the injured list, 28-year-old right-hander Justin Hagenman made his first major league start and allowed four runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Yankees starter Marcus Stroman gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings against his former team.

Soto hit his 21st home run this season in the first after Domínguez misplayed Brandon Nimmo’s leadoff double.

Key moment

McNeil’s homer came on the fourth of six changeups Weaver threw him.

Key stat

Weaver has allowed homers in three straight appearances. After compiling a 1.05 ERA in his first 24 games, he has a 13.50 ERA in seven outings since returning from a strained left hamstring.

Up next

Yankees LHP Carlos Rodón (9-5, 2.95 ERA) and Mets RHP Frankie Montas (0-1, 6.00) are scheduled to start Saturday.

Cubs 11, Cardinals 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Busch and the Chicago Cubs turned their holiday into a home run.

Eight of them, to be exact.

Busch hit three longballs, Pete Crow-Armstrong connected twice and the Cubs went deep a franchise-record eight times to hammer the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 on Friday for their fourth straight victory.

“It was just a fun game to be a part of,” Busch said. “Baseball is kind of a July Fourth kind of deal and especially to do it in Wrigley Field and have just so much excitement in the game — that was one I’ll never forget.”

The fireworks started long before sunset in front of 40,038 fans at Wrigley.

Busch went 4 for 4 with five RBIs in his first career three-homer performance and second multihomer game. His second drive of the day hit the right-field video board, just after Crow-Armstrong reached it.

“I think that’s the little side effect of baseball,” Busch said. “You get in there just trying to have good at-bats and try to win the game, but when things like that happen, it’s cool.

“You grow up dreaming of playing in the big leagues and to be able to do it and then, you know, to stitch your name in the Chicago Cubs record books is pretty cool.”

The eight longballs allowed by St. Louis also broke a club mark.

The 27-year-old Busch has rounded into a reliable everyday first baseman for the Cubs following a January 2024 trade from the Dodgers that largely went under the radar. He came to Chicago with right-hander Yency Almonte in a deal that sent prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope to Los Angeles.

Busch played 152 games last season for the Cubs, batting .248 with 21 homers and 65 RBIs. This year, he’s upped his average to .288 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs in 82 games.

“He’s turned into a really great offensive player,” manager Craig Counsell said. “Last year it felt like there was kinds of ups and downs during the season. And this year, you know, he has lengthened the ups and shortened the downs.”

Crow-Armstrong also went 4 for 4 and Dansby Swanson launched a two-run homer for Chicago. Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly added solo shots as the NL Central leaders hit six homers in the first three innings off Miles Mikolas (4-6), a record for most home runs off a Cardinals pitcher in one game.

“We just did an extremely good job at being aggressive in the zone and it was just kind of our day,” Busch said. “You know, we don’t really miss in the zone and I think when that happens, we’re a very scary ballteam.”

Reds 9, Phillies 6

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a two-RBI double to spark a five-run third inning and Reds reliever Tony Santillan struck out Alec Bohm with the bases loaded to end the eighth and lead Cincinnati past the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo lasted only two-plus innings and Reds starter Andrew Abbott — both pitchers entered with seven wins — couldn’t get out of the fourth. The Reds or Phillies scored at least one run in each of the first six innings and the defending NL East champion Phillies finished with 14 hits. The Reds had 11.

Nick Castellanos hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help stake Luzardo (7-5) to a 3-0 lead.

Luzardo pitched like an All-Star deep into May with an ERA hovering under 2.00 through his first 10 starts. He has been rocked in most of his outings since. He allowed a run in the second inning and gave up two run-scoring singles, a sacrifice fly and Steer’s double in the third that made it 6-3.

Elly De La Cruz added an RBI single in the fourth and the Reds tacked on two more runs in the fifth for a 9-4 lead.

Sam Moll — one of seven Reds pitchers — tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win and Emilio Pagán got his 19th save. Santillan truly saved the game when he caught Bohm looking on a 98 mph fastball to keep the score 9-6.

Red Sox 11, Nationals 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trevor Story homered and drove in four runs as part of a four-hit day, Lucas Giolito pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first game against the team that drafted him and the Boston Red Sox routed the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Jarren Duran had three RBIs for Boston, which collected 16 hits and has won four of six since enduring a season-worst six-game skid.

Washington was denied its first three-game winning streak since taking four in a row on May 28-31.

Giolito (5-1) allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven, surrendering Luis García Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. He is 2-0 with an 0.61 ERA in his last two starts.

The right-hander was the Nationals’ first-round pick in 2012 and debuted with the team four years later. Washington traded him to the Chicago White Sox in December 2016.

The Red Sox broke the game open with a seven-run fifth inning. After Boston loaded the bases, Wilyer Abreu walked in a run to make it 3-0 and Story ripped a two-run single to center to chase Washington starter Michael Soroka (3-6).

Marcelo Mayer hit reliever Zach Brzykcy’s first pitch to left to score Abreu. Three batters later, Duran hit a two-run double. He later scored on Abraham Toro’s single.

Story hit his 13th home run of the season in the eighth, a two-run blast to left off Ryan Loutos.

Soroka allowed seven runs and struck out six in four innings, matching his shortest outing of the season.

Twins 4, Rays 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Harrison Bader hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Minnesota Twins a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

Bader, the No. 9 batter, lined the first pitch he saw from Kevin Kelly (0-1) into the first row of left-field seats to complete a three-run Minnesota comeback.

It was the second career walk-off RBI for Bader, first on a home run.

Louis Varland (3-3) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, Minnesota got a two-out RBI double from Byron Buxton before Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger hit Willi Castro and Brooks Lee with pitches, tying the game. Carlos Correa struck out with the bases loaded.

Twins starter Chris Paddack allowed two earned runs and five hits in five-plus innings. Josh Lowe singled against Paddack leading off the sixth and scored on Yandy Díaz’s double.

Junior Caminero drove in Díaz with a single off Danny Coulombe for a 2-1 Rays lead. Lowe added an RBI single in the seventh.

Zack Littell pitched six solid innings for Tampa Bay, allowing one earned run for the third straight start. He scattered four hits and struck out five.