Rookie Tylor Megill struck out a career-high 10 in a career-long seven innings and the New York Mets took advantage of a string of mental and physical mistakes by the reeling Yankees to rout their Bronx rival 10-3 Friday night at Citi Field in the opener of the season’s second Subway Series.

Making the 15th start of his first big league season, Megill (3-4) allowed four hits and walked one as the Mets got back to .500 at 71-71. The 26-year-old right-hander threw up to 97.2 mph, well above his 94.5 mph average coming in.

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The Yankees lost their season-high seventh in a row and for the 11th time in 13 games following a 13-game winning streak. They began the night a half-game ahead of Toronto for the AL’s second wild-card berth.

Catcher Gary Sánchez had a pair of glaring defensive lapses, and third baseman Gio Urshela and shortstop Gleyber Torres made throwing errors that led to three runs.

Jordan Montgomery (5-6) allowed a career-high seven runs in 3 1/3 innings — just five runs were earned. Francisco Lindor chased him with an opposite-field home run just inside the right-field pole.

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The Yankees wasted a 1-0 lead in the first when Sánchez bailed on a play at the plate and allowed Jonathan Villar to score on a throw by left fielder Joey Gallo that beat the runner by more than 20 feet. Sánchez’s defensive lapse was the type that hardly occurs since Major League Baseball and the players’ association adoped a rule in 2014 limiting home plate collisions.

Plate umpire Ted Barrett called out Villar on Gallo’s throw, but a video review showed that by standing up and reaching out, Sánchez allowed the sliding Villar to get his foot on the plate before tagging him on the helmet.

Gallo’s homer in the second put the Yankees ahead 2-1, and the Mets burst ahead in a five-run third despite getting just one run-scoring hit that left the infield.

Montgomery forced in the tying run with his third straight walk, and Sánchez stayed glued to the plate and watched Ushela’s off-line throw from his knees sail to the backstop on Javier Báez’s grounder, allowing another run to score.

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Jeff McNeil dragged a bunt to the first-base side on the next pitch for the Mets’ first run-scoring bunt hit since Todd Frazier against Detroit on May 26, 2019.

Kevin Pillar’s sacrifice fly and James McCann’s RBI double — after Báez was trapped in a rundown and got caught stealing — boosted the lead to 6-2.

Torres’ 17th error, second-most among AL shortstops, allowed two runs on what should have been an inning-ending double play grounder by McCann in the seventh.

The Mets, who began the night five games back of a playoff spot, got their first win in four games this year while wearing black jerseys.

Anthony Rizzo homered in the ninth, his third against the Mets this year.

The second game of the series on Saturday marks the first time the New York rivals have played on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“We know there’s going to be a lot of emotions,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said.

WEB GEM

Mets RF Michael Conforto made a diving, shoestring catch to rob Brett Gardner in the eighth.

JUDGE

Aaron Judge nearly was hit by a drink that appeared to be thrown from the right-field seats in the seventh inning while Judge caught Pete Alonso’s fly ball.

SITTING

With the Yankees in an NL ballpark and no DH, Giancarlo Stanton was not in the starting lineup. He likely will play the outfield Saturday and Sunday. … McNeil started in left over Dominic Smith, who has not been in the starting lineup since he was activated from the injured list on Monday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (left hamstring tightness) will throw a bullpen session Saturday and could start Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone said. … RHP Michael King was activated from the 60-day IL and allowed two runs — one earned — in three innings. … RHP Sal Romano was designated for assignment

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard threw a bullpen session as he recovers from COVID-19. His last minor league rehabiliation outing was Aug. 26 as he tries to come back from Tommy John surgery on March 25, 2020. He threw rehab outings May 19 and 25, then was sidelined by elbow inflamation. “We feel like he might be able to pitch for us at some point,” Rojas said. … Ace RHP Jacob deGrom, who hasn’t pitched since July 2 due to forear tightness, played catch at 90 feet, down from 120 feet. … Brandon Nimmo, out since Sept. 4 with a strained right hamstring, is at 75%.

UP NEXT

RHP Corey Kluber (4-3) starts for the Yankees on Saturday and RHP Taijuan Walker for the Mets (7-9).