New York Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery says ‘I sucked’ after asking why Aaron Boone subbed him in-game

It was a perfect start to the Subway Series for the Yankees. Back-to-back homers by Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo off Taijuan Walker silenced the Citi Field early against the Mets.

But it was as good as it got for the Bronx Bombers on Tuesday night. The Mets had an answer back.

They went after Yankees pitcher Jordan Montgomery and flipped the game upside down in a brutal first innings rally. 

Yankees pitcher Jordan Montgomery had a night to forget against the New York Mets

The Mets blitzed him in their first innings – pictured, Starling Marte rounds the bases for a home run despite the New York Yankees holding a 2-0 lead

Montgomery needed 71 pitches for seven outs

Starling Marte homered. Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso followed with back-to-back doubles, and Eduardo Escobar’s two-run, two-out homer put the Mets ahead 4-2. They went on to win 6-3.

Montgomery, 0-2 in last seven starts, allowed five runs – four earned – and five hits, needing 71 pitches for seven outs. 

When Yankees manager Aaron Boone came out to remove him after 2 1/3 innings, he called out ‘why’ and was clearly not happy.

But he struck a different tone in the locker room after the game.

‘I sucked, I needed to be pulled,’ Montgomery said. ‘I felt like I had pretty good stuff but I guess I was due a bad one.

‘I felt like I was making decent pitches but they must have had a really good game plan against me and it is a really good line-up. I’ve just got to be better.

‘I wanted to be out there. I was ready to throw as many pitches as was necessary. We’re not going to be perfect all years. If you have 30 starts, you’ll have five stinkers so hopefully this is my one and we’ll be right back to work tomorrow.’  

Montgomery appeared to ask Aaron Boone ‘why’ when he took him out of the game

Boone held no grudge to Montgomery, despite being questioned by him as he approached the mound.

‘That’s the thing about Monty – he wants the ball, he wants to compete,’ Boone said. ‘Whether it’s going great or a night like tonight where he’s struggling, he wants to compete.

‘At that point where the bats they were having against him, being up over 70 pitches in the third inning, I just felt that was the time. 

‘It looked like he was trying to go in there on Marte and left it on a plate, he homers. 

‘Tough night, they were on him and made it difficult and then a few mistakes he made, they hit for extra bases or out the ballpark.’

Some of the Yankees fanbase called out Montgomery on social media in the aftermath.

‘We lost this game because of Jordan Montgomery,’ one wrote on Twitter. ‘You could also blame it on a few hitters but it’s a 3-2 game without Montgomery.’

Another said: ‘Jordan Montgomery asking “Why?” is more embarrassing than his pitching like tonight’ while a different fan wrote: ‘Jordan Montgomery is not good so I expected nothing less than him to hand the lead right back.’

The second game of the Subway Series is Wednesday night back at Citi Field.

For the Mets, the advantage is with them as they head into Wednesday night’s match 

The two teams meet again in the Subway Series on Wednesday back at Citi Field