When aliens descended upon Earth in the film “Independence Day,” their home planet was never disclosed.
On Friday, however, the Mets knew exactly where their extraterrestrial adversary came from, as The Martian demonstrated his true power even though the Queens club beat the invading Yankees, 6-5, on the Fourth of July.
OK, so Jasson Domínguez actually hails from the Dominican Republic, not outer space. Regardless, his two home runs in the season’s second Subway Series opener offered a silver lining as the Yankees dropped their fifth game in a row.
The team, fresh off of getting swept in Toronto and falling out of first place, asked Domínguez to lead off for just the second time this season. With Ben Rice out of the lineup and a right-hander starting for the Mets, Aaron Boone called Domínguez a “natural fit” for the job.
The outfielder responded by starting the game with a six-pitch at-bat and a homer off Justin Hagenman. The switch-hitting Domínguez, batting from the left side, shot a low sinker 380 feet the other way at over 100 mph.
It was his first jack since May 21.
“I do like it,” Domínguez said of leading off. “Here, I hit wherever my manager wants.”
Aaron Judge then went back-to-back with the 22-year-old, giving the Yankees captain 32 home runs this season.
Domínguez left the yard again in the fifth inning following a DJ LeMahieu single and a pitching change. With Hagenman out and fellow right-hander Austin Warren in, Domínguez hit another oppo bomb for a 356-foot, two-run blast. That gave the Yankees a 5-3 lead, but their bullpen ultimately blew that advantage.
While a force at the plate, Domínguez wasn’t perfect on Friday, as his defensive deficiencies resurfaced in the bottom of the first.
With the sun shining in left, he misjudged a leadoff double from Brandon Nimmo. The ball had a 99% catch probability, but it sailed over Domínguez’s head. Juan Soto, back to being his elite self after an awful Subway Series in the Bronx back in May, then hit an opposite field homer of his own off former teammate Marcus Stroman to tie the game.
“I think it just back-spun and [he’s] thinking it’s going to be a line drive at him,” Boone said of the Domínguez play. “It’s one of those that just kind of, every now and then, will carry over a player’s head. So just didn’t read it the best.”
Domínguez also grounded out to end the game, but he ended up going 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
While his pop didn’t emerge until Friday, he’s been on fire lately.
Domínguez just tied a career-high with four hits on Thursday, and he was hitting .348/.378/.435 (24-for-69) with nine runs, four doubles, five RBI, four walks and five stolen bases over his last 21 games prior to Friday.
“He’s swinging the bat really well. Coming off a really strong series in Toronto and last night,” Boone said. “This is who I feel like he is as a hitter.
“We’re seeing the fruits of a young, good player just continuing to get a little bit better.”
Asked what’s been clicking, the still-developing Domínguez said he’s simply been trying to improve his swing decisions.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good,” he added. “I feel like I’ve been seeing the ball well, and I feel very good overall.”
