Yankees belt Mets 9-3 as baseball returns to New York

NEW YORK — For their first exhibition game since the virus outbreak shut down spring training in mid-March, Yankees players took a team bus from the Bronx to Queens to meet the Mets — no subways for this series.

The pregame routine looked familiar enough — soaring batting practice homers from Giancarlo Stanton and Pete Alonso, ground ball work for Gleyber Torres and Robinson Cano.

Signs of the times were certainly there. Some coaches hit fungoes in face masks, and the usual high fives and hugs between opponents around the batting cage were replaced by elbow taps and distanced chats — including one between Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Mets counterpart Brodie Van Wagenen.

Then the action began. Mike Tauchman had three of the Yankees’ 12 hits in a 9-3 win over the Mets on Saturday night at Citi Field. Alonso had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who committed four errors. Mets starter Rick Porcello took the loss. Yankees starter Michael King was the winner.

With no fans filing in for first pitch, nearly 1,000 cardboard likenesses of Mets supporters were set up behind home plate. The team plans to have 5,000 in place by opening day.

Reserve players watched from under large awnings build behind both dugouts. Mets backups gave a standing ovation to Porcello as he returned from the bullpen, then started a chant of “Let’s go, Mets!”

The first homer in Flushing also came from a masked player — Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier. The 25-year-old, who says he’s taken heat on social media for his decision to wear a face covering at all times, drove a two-run homer into the second deck in the fourth inning.