Subway Series 9/11 Tribute
Cody Bellinger hits decisive home run as Yankees defeat Mets on 9/11 anniversary.
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Key Points
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Across Major League Baseball, players, managers, coaches and umpires wore caps with a “We Shall Never Forget” side patch; at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees and Mets also wore first-responder caps bearing their team logos.
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Brielle Saracini, whose father, Victor Saracini, was the pilot of United Flight 175, threw out the ceremonial first pitch with Derek Jeter watching from the mound. Saracini was caught by Cody Bellinger, while Sean McGuire—whose father also died on 9/11—threw to Paul Goldschmidt.
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Bellinger’s three-run homer came on a full-count curveball from Mets rookie Nolan McLean and was the first curveball home run McLean had allowed in the major leagues.
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David Bednar entered with one out in the eighth inning and the bases loaded after struggles from Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick. He escaped the jam, then allowed a leadoff home run to A.J. Ewing in the ninth before securing his second five-out save of the season.
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The pregame ceremony included a reunion of 2001 Yankees figures including Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius and manager Joe Torre, with highlights from the team’s 2001 postseason run shown on the field.
The Yankees defeated the Mets 6-4 at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2026, in a Subway Series game heavy with ceremony honoring the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Total Apex Sports reported that Cody Bellinger, whose father played for the 2001 Yankees, broke open the game with a three-run homer in the second inning off Mets rookie Nolan McLean.
The afternoon was marked by solemn tributes across baseball. Players wore "We Shall Never Forget" patches, while the Yankees and Mets donned first-responder caps. A giant American flag covered Yankee Stadium's outfield during the national anthem as surviving members of the 2001 Yankees—including Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and manager Joe Torre—were honored on the field.
Bellinger's Decisive Blast Decides Close Contest
Bellinger's three-run homer came on a full-count curveball in the second inning, Total Apex Sports confirmed. It was the first curveball home run that McLean, a rookie, had allowed in the major leagues. Ben Rice also homered for the Yankees, adding to early offensive momentum.
Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón was efficient through six-plus innings, allowing two runs—only one earned. The bullpen struggled briefly, but David Bednar entered with one out and the bases loaded after relievers Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick faltered. Bednar escaped the jam and recorded his second five-out save of the season, though A.J. Ewing hit a solo homer off him in the ninth.
Fallen Firefighters Remembered Through Ceremonial Moments
Two sons of 9/11 victims participated in first-pitch ceremonies that carried deep meaning. Brielle Saracini, daughter of United Flight 175 pilot Victor Saracini, threw out the ceremonial first pitch with Derek Jeter watching from the mound. Saracini was caught by Cody Bellinger.
Sean McGuire, whose father also died on 9/11, threw the second ceremonial first pitch to Paul Goldschmidt. The moments tied the game's athletic drama to the human cost of the attacks, blending sport with remembrance in ways unique to the 25th anniversary observance at the nation's most iconic baseball stadium.
2001 Yankees Legends Return for Historic Reunion
The pregame ceremony reunited key figures from the Yankees' legendary 2001 team, the year of 9/11. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Scott Brosius, and manager Joe Torre all appeared on the field at Yankee Stadium. Highlights from that team's historic postseason run were shown to the crowd.
That 2001 team, which reached the World Series just weeks after the attacks, holds special significance in New York sports history. Their return for the 25th anniversary created a powerful full-circle moment—the same players who lifted the city's spirits decades earlier were present to honor those lost and celebrate resilience through baseball.
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