Yankees' Brett Gardner hero of Subway Series win, but Masahiro Tanaka hurt

Yankees prevail 4-1 over Mets on Friday night at Citi Field.

NEW YORK — The first edition of this year’s Subway Series was fuel for everyone who thinks both leagues should have the designated hitter.

It also was a reminder that the current state of New York baseball includes the usual contender and a pretender.

Do Yankees enjoy Subway Series games at Citi Field? Not necessarily

After pitcher Masahiro Tanaka hurt himself scoring the tying run in the sixth inning, Brett Gardner hit a tie-breaking homer off Mets ace Jacob deGrom in the eighth and the Yankees went on to win 4-1 at Citi Field.

Giancarlo Stanton added a ninth-inning solo homer, his second in two games and 1 of the season, for the 41-18 Yankees, who have won three in a row and eight of nine.

The Mets dropped their seventh straight and fell a season-worst six games under .500 at 27-33.

Tanaka’s injury put a damper on the Yankees’ series-opening win, as he experienced tightness in both hamstrings scoring the tying run on a sacrifice fly, then headed straight to the clubhouse with athletic trainer Steve Donohue.

“He’s obviously a big part of our team,” Gardner said of Tanaka. “Hopefully whatever he’s got going on is nothing serious.”

Because this weekend’s games are being played in an NL ballpark, Tanaka was in manager Aaron Boone’s lineup hitting eighth ahead of rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres.

Tanaka, who has one career hit, made good contact lining out to fair deeply center his first time up, then reached first with one out in the sixth when his weak grounder to first base was bobbled by Adrian Gonzalez.

Tanaka jogged to second on a line single by Torres, took third when Gardner walked to load the bases.

Aaron Judge then hit a one-out, bases-loaded flyball to medium right, Tanaka was sent home and he scored standing up due to Jay Bruce’s throw to the plate going far right of catcher Devin Mesoraco.

It’s too early too tell how serious Tanaka’s injury is?

The Yankees announced Tanaka exited with hamstring soreness, and while that could be minor, this issue can turn in something much more severe and lead to an arm injury if he changes his pitching mechanics due to the soreness.

Tanaka was in the midst of his best start of the season being replaced in the sixth by Jonathan Holder. Tanaka’s second pitch of the night into the right-field second deck by Brandon Nimmo for a quick 1-0 Mets lead, but he retired the next 12 in a row, seven by strikeouts, and finished allowing just the one run on two hits in five innings.

“He was great,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Tanaka. “After the leadoff homer, he was dialed in. I thought his splitter was really, really strong. He was cruising. He was really dealing there for a while.”

But now he’s hurt, and it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he’s on the disabled list by Saturday.

“It’s one of those that we’ll evaluate and see where he’s at,” Boone said.

NOTABLE

— Right fielder Aaron Judge jammed his left thumb sliding into second base on Greg Bird’s inning-ending grounder in the first inning. “He checked out all right … said he was good to go,” Boone said.

— Donohue made a mound visit to check on closer Arolidis Chapman during the ninth inning because the lefty has been dealing with some tendinitis in his left knee. Boone said after the game that the issue is “not a big deal.”

— Torres was 2 for 3 after entering the game in a 2-for-19 slump that lowered his average from .325 to .294.

— Slumping catcher Gary Sanchez’s average is down to .197 after an 0-for-4 night that included two strikeouts.

— Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks, who isn’t hurt and has a eight hits in his last 19 at-bats, didn’t start for the third time in four games. The switch-hitter struck out pinch-hitting for reliever Chad Green in the eighth inning.

— Mets righty Noah Syndergaard’s scheduled return from the disabled list to start Sunday night against the Yankees is off. Sidelined since May 26 with a strained ligament in his right index finger, Syndergaard experienced soreness in his finger playing catch this week. Righty Seth Lugo, who has made just one start in 22 appearances this year, will make the start for the Mets.

–The Mets put closer Jeurys Familia on the 10-day disabled list before Friday’s game due to right shoulder soreness. Familia, who has a 2.48 ERA and 14 saves, was replaced on the 25-man roster by right-hander Jacob Rhame, who was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas.

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday: Yankees at Mets, 7:15 p.m., FOX. RHP Domingo German (0-4, 5.44) vs LHP Steven Matz (2-4, 3.42).

Sunday: Yankees at Mets, 8:05 p.m., ESPN. RHP Luis Severino (9-1, 2.20) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.04).

Monday: Off day.

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.