SUBWAY GAMEDAY

Aaron Hicks was having a splendid season for the Yankees before going down in late June with an oblique injury, which sidelined him for more than six weeks. Over the last four days, the Yanks are finding out just how badly they missed him.

Hicks smashed a solo, go-ahead home run off Hansel Robles in the eighth inning Monday night in the Bronx to help lift the Yanks to a 4-2 win over the Mets, striking the first blow in this four-game, two-borough Subway Series.

With the Red Sox losing to Cleveland, the Yankees (62-55) pulled back to within 4.5 games of Boston for the AL East lead. After Aroldis Chapman blew Sunday's game to Boston, Dellin Betances pitched Monday's ninth and earned the save.

Gary Sanchez added an insurance run in the eighth with a solo homer, his 20th of the season, and finished 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Rafael Montero allowed two runs in six innings for the Mets, giving up five hits and two walks while striking out six. His night could've been better if not for an Aaron Judge solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game 2-2.

Luis Cessa was called up to make Monday's start in place of the injured Masahiro Tanaka, but Cessa ended up leaving with the trainer after 4.1 innings with an apparent injury. He allowed solo homers in the third to Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes.