Yankees sweep GCL championship series
After rallying for a 3-2 win in Saturday's series opener, the Yankees struck for six runs in the first inning of the clincher and had a 10-0 lead by the fifth. Chris Malec had three hits, including a two-run single in the opening frame, and three RBIs.
Luis Nunez opened the Yanks' first with a single and Austin Jackson reached on an error by shortstop Emmanuel Garcia. After Wilkins De La Ross walked, Angel Fermin singled in a run and Jose Gil lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Malec's base hit doubled the lead, Nathan Phillips plated another run with a fielder's choice and Wilmer Pino's RBI single capped the inning.
Malec was taken in the 16th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft after battling testicular cancer during his senior season at UC Santa Barbara.
Keaton Everitt (1-0) had no trouble protecting the lead, yielding just two hits and a walk in five scoreless innings while striking out five. Anderson Amador worked the sixth and Andrew Carter finished up for the save, despite allowing one run on six hits.
Mets starter Jonathon Niese (0-1) retired just one of the nine batters he faced and was charged with six runs -- three earned -- on four hits and two walks.
Matthew Spath singled in a run in the ninth for the Mets, whose 37-16 regular-season record was tops in the league. The Yankees, who were 33-20 during the season, defeated the Red Sox in a one-game playoff to reach the best-of-3 finals.