“NEW YORK CITY! WELCOME TO THIS YEAR’S SUBWAY SEEEEEEEEERIES!” the announcer boomed. The fans exploded with cheers and claps.

Mike and Kate had gone to get dinner and returned to the press box just in time for the start of the game. On the way back, Mike had bought a baseball with a Mets logo on it. He always liked to have a baseball with him at ballparks in case he had a chance to get a player’s signature.

The Mets fans cheered when their team ran out and took the field. And the Yankees fans cheered as their leadoff hitter walked to the plate. Then the Yankees fans cheered even louder when he hit a line drive and ran to second base!

As the runner stopped, the Mets catcher ran out to his pitcher. They covered their mouths with their gloves and talked for a few minutes before the catcher ran back to home plate.

“Let’s go, Mets!” the fans cheered.

The Mets pitcher struck out the next three batters. The first half of the inning was over without the Yankees getting a run.

As they waited for the Yankees to take the field, Mike nudged Kate. “Maybe one of the Mets players will hit a home run,” he said. “Then we’ll get to see the Home Run Apple!”

The Home Run Apple was a giant red apple with the Mets logo on it. It was taller than a truck. During games, it stayed hidden in a hole behind center field. But whenever a Mets player hit a home run, the apple rose from its hole.

“That would be cool,” Kate said. “Manzana roja gigante. Giant red apple.” Kate was teaching herself Spanish. Her father knew Spanish because he worked with baseball players from other countries. Kate wanted to be able to speak Spanish like her father, so she practiced whenever she could.

But the Mets didn’t hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning. Or the second, third, fourth, or fifth inning. They scored a run by hitting a couple of doubles, but nobody had hit a blast big enough to get a home run. By the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mets were ahead by two. But the fans still wanted a home run.

During the game, Mike and Kate kept an eye on Milo. However, he stayed at his desk, working the whole time.

The first Mets batter of the sixth inning hit a pop fly for an out. The second batter chopped at a curveball and hit a grounder to first for the second out. But the third Mets batter had a full count of three balls and two strikes before he saw his pitch. It was a fastball.

The Mets player swung with all his might.

BLAST!

The bat connected with the ball and sent it flying! The hitter ran for first, and the ball sailed over the outfield wall.

It was a home run!

“Here it comes!” Mike said. He nudged Kate.

Mike and Kate watched as the top of the apple appeared from behind the center-field wall.

But as the apple came out, one of the reporters in the room called out, “Oh no!” Others crowded to the windows to watch.

Mike’s and Kate’s jaws dropped open.

“That doesn’t look like the Home Run Apple I’ve seen on TV!” Kate said.

Instead of the regular bright red apple with a Mets logo, the apple that rose from the hole behind center field was very different. It was painted white with dark blue pinstripes that ran top to bottom all around the apple. And there was a giant Yankees logo on the front!

“Someone’s pulling a prank on the Mets!” Mike said.

A chorus of boos went up from the Mets fans in the audience, and cheers rose from the Yankees fans. The players milled around on the field while the umpires tried to figure out what to do.

Milo reached for his camera and took a picture. “I can’t believe somebody turned the Mets’ Home Run Apple into the Yankees’ Home Run Apple!” he said. “This will make a great scoop!” He walked to his computer and started typing.

“Not so fast,” Kate’s mother said. She stepped over to the window and took a picture. “My readers will want to see it, too.” She tapped on her phone for a moment. “There,” she said. “I just sent it to my editor at America Today to publish!”

Mike and Kate stared out the window at the giant pin-striped apple. A few people on the Mets’ grounds crew were walking over to it from the infield. Most fans were just staring at the strange sight.

“Can I borrow your binoculars?” Mike asked a nearby reporter. “I want to get a better look.”

Up close, Mike could see that the logo on the front of the apple was just a sheet painted with the word Yankees. He twirled the dial on the binoculars to zoom out a little bit to see the fans.

“That’s strange,” Mike said. He nudged Kate. “Use these to look over there.” He handed her the binoculars. “At the bottom of the stands just to the right of the Home Run Apple. Do you see that man looking at the apple and talking on a walkie-talkie?”

Kate held the binoculars up to her eyes and scanned the seats near the apple. “Yes,” she said. “But it can’t be!”

“It is!” Mike said. “He’s wearing a Mets jersey and a Yankees cap!”