Mets' Pete Alonso thinks ahead to possible Subway Series against Yankees, saying `It'd be sick'

NEW YORK (AP) — After listening to Yankees fans rail at Juan Soto for two days, New York Mets star Pete Alonso thought about the possibility of a Subway Series this October.

“It'd be electric," he said following the Mets' 3-2 win Saturday. “Any chance we can avoid the Van Wyck, that’d be great.”

Alonso would love the chance to play an environmentally friendly World Series entirely in New York and avoid the perpetually congested expressway leading to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Subway Series spark memories of Don Larsen's perfect game, clutch catches by Al Gionfriddo and Sandy Amoros, and David Cone coming out of the bullpen to retire Mike Piazza. With the Mets and Yankees leading their divisions a quarter of the way through the regular season, there's a chance of the first Subway Series since 2000 but a long way to go.

Even for a regular-season meeting on a Saturday afternoon, the sellout crowd of 47,510 at Yankee Stadium was amped up — especially when booing Soto, who helped the Yankees reach the World Series last year and then bolted across town for a record $765 million, 15-year contract with the Mets.

“Typically I do a pretty good job of blocking the noise out,” Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt said. “There was a time where he was up I had to turn up the PitchCom because it was tough to hear.”

Winners of a record 27 titles but none since 2009, the Yankees lead the AL East at 26-19. The Mets, boosted by hedge fund owner Steve Cohen's fortune, top the NL East at 29-17 as they seek their third championship and first since 1986.

Last year, the Mets lost in the National League Championship Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the Yankees in the World Series. While there were 13 Subway Series from 1921-56 — six between the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers and seven between Yankees and New York Giants — there has been only one since.

“It'd be sick,” Alonso said. “That’d be probably the best postseason matchup ever because you don’t have to go on the road. You have seven home games. ... You don’t have to worry about dealing with all the great wall of traffic out of JFK.”

A day after the Yankees won the opener of six regular-season meetings 6-2, Francisco Lindor's ninth-inning sacrifice fly off Fernando Cruz broke a 2-all tie and Edwin Díaz ended the game by getting Aaron Judge to swing over a 98.6 mph full-count fastball. A runner on each team was thrown at the plate, and an umpire interference call on himself by James Jean negated a Yankees double steal.

“That’s what you call a big league game, big league matchup. Every pitch was intense, every play," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That's what you pay for, to come and watch a big league game when you got two teams with a lot of superstars.”

Soto went 1 for 4 with a walk and is 1 for 6 with four walks in his first two games back in the Bronx, booed noisily each time he walked to the plate or touched the ball defensively. He threw some shade two pitches into his first at-bat Saturday — he tossed his mirrored sunglasses on a perfect spring afternoon, deciding he'd see better without them.

Soto tipped his helmet to the crowd before his first plate appearance Friday and provided another moment of levity in the fifth inning Saturday when he shook a “no” to Schmidt after the pitcher started to the dugout following a 2-2 knuckle-curve at the low, outside corner. Jean called ball three, and Soto wound up walking.

“I thought out of the hand it was a ball and it was a ball,” Schmidt said.

Consistent throughout the season, the Mets are the only team that hasn't had a three-game losing streak. And while players and staff are focused on the next game, fans have the luxury to dream ahead to a 15th Subway Series.

“I’m sure,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said, “it would be pretty cool.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets catcher Luis Torrens (13) and pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees following a baseball game, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Brett Baty (7) reacts after being tagged out by New York Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra at home plate during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Francisco Lindor (12) scores a run against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets' Pete Alonso (20) hits an RBI single scoring Francisco Lindor during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

New York Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz (39) reacts after striking out New York Yankees' Aaron Judge to close out the ninth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 17, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Tanzania and Tunisia secured the last two available spots in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Tuesday, completing the lineup before half of the groups had concluded their final games.

Tanzania's 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Group C wrecked Angola's hopes of squeezing through as one of the best third-place finishers with just two points from Group B. Angola’s goal difference was better than that of Comoros, the third-place finisher in Group A.

Feisal Salum’s equalizer for Tanzania sent the Taifa Stars through. While Tanzania and Angola both finished with two points and a goal difference of minus 1, the goal scored by Salum, who is commonly known as Fei Toto, took Tanzania's tally to three — one better than Angola's two goals.

All the other group stage survivors were decided already on Monday because of Angola and Comoros’ relatively low points total. It meant teams that already had more than two points and were already assured of at least third place in their groups could be certain of reaching the last 16.

The four best third-place teams from the six groups progress, along with the top two in each. Head-to-head results are the first determining factor if two teams finish with the same amount of points in a group.

Here's a look at which teams went through from the six groups:

Host nation Morocco progressed as the winner of Group A, followed by second-place Mali with just three points from three draws. Morocco next faces a third-place finisher from Groups C, D or E on Sunday. More importantly for the Atlas Lions, they will continue their run to the final in the almost 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which will also stage the final on Jan. 18. Mali awaits Tunisia for a showdown in Casablanca on Saturday.

Seven-time champion Egypt booked its place after two games and won Group B to advance with South Africa in second, ahead of Angola. Egypt stays in Agadir and next faces a third-place finisher from Groups A, C or D on Jan. 5. South Africa faces a likely tough game against the runner-up in Group F on Sunday.

Nigeria was already sure of topping Group C before its 3-1 win over Uganda on Tuesday. The Super Eagles will remain in Fez for their first knockout game against a third-place finisher from Groups A, B or F on Jan. 5. Tunisia faces Mali in the last 16, and Tanzania progressed as the fourth-best third-place finisher.

Senegal, Congo and Benin were already sure of progressing before their final group games late Tuesday. In the end, Senegal topped the group on goal difference after its 3-0 win over Benin, while Congo finished second after a 3-0 win over Botswana. Botswana had already lost to Senegal and Benin and was certain of finishing last.

Top spot ensured Senegal stays in Tangier for its first knockout game on Saturday against a third-place finisher from Groups B, E or F. But the 2021 champion will be without suspended captain Kalidou Koulibaly.

Congo next faces Algeria, and Benin – like the other surviving third-place finishers – will face one of the group winners.

Algeria is certain to win Group E before its final group games, and Burkina Faso and Sudan are certain to advance because they cannot finish below Equatorial Guinea, which lost both games against them. Algeria will play Congo, the second-place finisher from Group D, on Jan 6. in the same Rabat stadium where it has played all its games so far. On Wednesday, Sudan play Burkina Faso and Algeria plays Equatorial Guinea.

Defending champion Ivory Coast, five-time winner Cameroon, and Mozambique are assured of progress from Group F. Gabon, sure to finish last, was already eliminated before the last round of group games on Wednesday, when the order of the top three teams will be decided. Ivory Coast plays Gabon and Cameroon faces Mozambique.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations

A DR Congo fans cheer prior to the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A DR Congo fan cheers prior to the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Botswana and DR Congo in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Morocco fans wait for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Tunisia's supporters wait for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group C soccer match between Tanzania and Tunisia in Rabat, Morocco, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)

A Moroccan fan waits for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A Moroccan fan waits for the start of the Africa Cup of Nations group A soccer match between Zambia and Morocco in Rabat, Morocco, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Senegal fans support their national team during the Africa Cup of Nations group D soccer match between Senegal and DR Congo in Tangier, Morocco, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)