NEW YORK — Sonny Gray won consecutive starts for the first time since the Yankees acquired him last summer, holding down a depleted Mets lineup again missing Yoenis Cespedes in a 7-6 Subway Series victory Saturday.

Aaron Judge homered for the Yankees, who survived a wild ninth-inning in which closer Aroldis Chapman forced in two runs and failed to get an out. Chasen Shreve relieved with the bases loaded and a two-run lead, induced Devin Mesoraco’s run-scoring, double-play grounder and retired Wilmer Flores on a slow roller in front of the mound for his second big league save, his first since August 2016.

The Yankees trailed after Michael Conforto’s second-inning home run but rallied against Steven Matz with a four-run fourth that included Didi Gregorius’ tying triple, run-scoring doubles by Miguel Andujar and Greg Bird, and Austin Romine’s RBI single. Mets center fielder Matt den Dekker had trouble with three balls that went for hits that inning and struck out three times, leaving him hitless in 17 at-bats this season.

Gray (7-7) has been a disappointment since the Yankees acquired him from Oakland last July 31, going 11-14 in 30 starts.

He left with a 4-1 lead but David Robertson gave up Amed Rosario’s RBI single, then allowed another run in when he made an errant pickoff throw to first.

Gray has a 7.62 ERA in nine home starts this year and a 3.62 ERA in 10 road appearances. He allowed three runs – two earned – three hits and three walks in 51/3 innings.

Pitching for the first time in a week, Chapman issued a leadoff walk, allowed an infield hit, then forced in a run by walking pitch-hitter Ty Kelly and Jose Reyes on eight straight pitches. He hit Brandon Nimmo with a 2-0 pitch, and was pulled in favor of Shreve.

Matz (4-8) lost his third straight start, giving up five runs and nine hits in five-plus innings.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BLUE JAYS 4, ORIOLES 1: Marcus Stroman pitched seven sharp innings, Aledmys Diaz had two hits and host Toronto beat Baltimore for its sixth straight win over the struggling Orioles.

Baltimore right-hander Alex Cobb picked up his major league-worst 13th loss as the Orioles dropped to 1-8 against Toronto this season.

Stroman (3-7) allowed one run and five hits. He threw a season-high 107 pitches, the first time this season he has topped 100.

Stroman is 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA in five starts since returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss more than a month.

Seunghwan Oh worked the eighth and Ryan Tepera finished for his seventh save in 12 opportunities.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CUBS 7, CARDINALS 2: Tyler Chatwood pitched into the sixth inning and made a key defensive play in his first win in two months, helping Chicago beat St. Louis at Wrigley Field in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

Chatwood (4-5) issued six walks and hit a batter, continuing a season-long problem with control. But the right-hander allowed just one hit in 51/3 innings – Matt Carpenter’s fourth homer in the last two days.

Ben Zobrist went 4 for 4 and scored twice as NL Central-leading Chicago bounced back nicely from an 18-5 loss to St. Louis on Friday. Javier Baez had three hits and two RBI, and Tommy La Stella also drove in two runs in the makeup of an April 16 rainout.

The Cardinals pulled within one on Yadier Molina’s sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the Cubs responded with four runs in the bottom half. Baez drove in Jason Heyward with a bloop double, Victor Caratini had a sacrifice fly and La Stella capped the scoring with a two-out, two-run single.

INTERLEAGUE

MARLINS 3, RAYS 2: Rookie Pablo Lopez gave up three hits in six innings, Cameron Maybin homered and Miami won at St. Petersburg, Florida.
Lopez (2-1) struck out six in his fourth major league start, helping the Marlins match their longest winning streak of the season at four games.

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