Sadiq Khan throws first ball at Mets baseball game during the London mayor’s whirlwind visit to New York

SADIQ Khan made his pitch for London as he threw the first ball for the New York Mets last night.

The Mayor of London is in the Big Apple on a five-day trip to North America in a bid to prove the capital is still "open for business".

And the Labour politician was given the honour of opening the play at the Mets' Citi Field ground before their clash with Minnesota Twins.

Khan - who replaced Boris Johnson as mayor in May - donned the Mets iconic jersey as he chucked the ball on Sunday evening.

He later tweeted: "Fantastic to throw the first pitch at today's @Mets game. #PitchingForLondon #LondonIsOpen."

The visit to the States has not passed without hiccup.

He made a veiled dig at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by talking of the need to "build bridges rather than walls".

The comments was seen as a reference to businessman Trump's plan to build a wall along the US/Mexico border if he is elected later this year.

Khan and Trump have clashed before when the 45-year-old mayor labelled Trump "ignorant" for his plan to ban Muslims from entering the USA.

The Apprentice star responded by calling Khan's comments "rude" and "nasty".

Khan plans to meet with Major League Baseball chief Rob Manfred in a bid to bring baseball to London in a similar way that American football has been.

He will also hold talks with Canadian premier Justin Trudeau after visits to Chicago and Montreal.

Ahead of the trip, Khan said: "In the wake of Brexit it is hugely important that we strengthen London's ties with other major cities.

"The key theme I will take into every meeting on this visit is that London is and always will remain open for business."