Mets 4 – Yankees 3
The margin was one run last night, and that’s a chance for a save. Willie Randolph summoned Billy Wagner again.
Wagner entered the ninth to mostly cheers at Shea. And then he saved it. But not easily.
The Met closer, who blew a four-run lead in the ninth on Saturday, allowed two of the first three Yankees to reach in the ninth last night. But Wagner was able to finish the Mets’ 4-3 win with 56,205 at Shea, as the Mets ended the Subway Series by taking two out of three.
Wagner began the ninth by striking out Robinson Cano, the final two pitches hitting 98 and 97 mph. He then gave up a bloop single to Bernie Williams and a chop single to Melky Cabrera.
He then struck out Kelly Stinnett and got Miguel Cairo to ground to second to end it.
Wagner admitted later that he was craving the chance to pitch.
“I felt like I had a lot to prove to my teammates and prove to this city that one tough outing ain’t going to break me,” he said.
Said Randolph, “He’s been through times like this before, so you expect the premier closers to bounce back. You’re going to give him the ball, he wants the ball, and you have to react to a tough, tough outing. If you’re scared, then get a dog.” In the eighth, the Yankees came close to tying the game, loading the bases with none out on Duaner Sanchez’s inexcusable leadoff walk to Cairo and infield hits from Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter.
Jason Giambi’s sac fly made it 43. But Alex Rodriguez missed a shot to tie the game, grounding into a 6-4-3 double play.
“He made a hell of a pitch – 95mph sinker low and in,” said ARod, whose team went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
“He got me this time. Next time I may win.
Props to Sanchez.” The Yankees now head to Fenway to begin a three-game series with the Red Sox, while the Mets will have today off before the Phillies come in. The Mets and Yanks won’t face each other again until June 30.
The Mets scored their four runs in the fourth inning on two homers. Aaron Small, getting the start with Shawn Chacon out with a shin bruise, held the Mets to one hit in the first three frames. But in the fourth, Paul Lo Duca and Carlos Beltran hit back-toback singles, and Carlos Delgado crushed Small’s first pitch into the Mets bullpen for a three-run homer.
Then David Wright absolutely blasted a homer over the Yankees bullpen, a 445-foot shot.
“That was titanic,” Floyd said. “I hope nobody thought they were safe parking behind the bullpen.
But maybe they did and they’ll be going home windshield-less.” For the 25th straight time, Tom Glavine went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits to earn his seventh victory.
The two runs Glavine gave up came in the fourth when with the bases loaded, Derek Jeter hit a grounder between short and third.
Wright tried to pick it going to his left, but it hit off his glove, and the ball got through. It was credited as a two-run single for Jeter, but it should have been a two-run error on Wright.
Wright made up for his miscue with the longball. As did Wagner with the save.
Additional reporting by George King.