Series Turns into Pitching Duel

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Yanks Prevail over Mets, 4-2; Long Ball is Decisive

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 10- As in Game 1 of the Subway Series, a combination of good pitching and home runs accounted for a Yankees victory over the Mets.

In seven innings, Mets starter Dillon Gee gave up only five hits. Three of the hits came off the bats of three of the first four batters Gee faced, Derek Jeter singled to center, breaking a 0 for 18 hitless streak. The Mets killer began the game with a .377 batting average against the Amazins. A balk moved Jeter to second. He scored on single by Alex Rodriguez with one out. The hit was Jeter’s 328^th, the run his 186^th in interleague play and the run batted in was the 189^th for Rodriguez in interleague play. Both raised the numbers as major league leaders in gams between teams of the opposite league.

The next hit off Gee was a two-run homer by Mark Teixeira with two out in the sixth. It was sufficient to give the Yanks enough runs to achieve victory.

The final Yankees run came again via the home run route as Curtis Granderson led-off the eighth with a homer off reliever Bobby Parnell. The long ball ended a string of 18 at bats without a hit for the Yankees centerfielder.

Phil Hughes, the Yankees starter, hurled a very similar game to Gee. In 6.1 innings, Hughes threw 108 pitches, 71 for strikes. Gee threw 70 strikes in 108 pitches.

The only two runs Hughes surrendered came on solo home runs. Mets shortstop Omar Quintanilla hit a four bagger on a 1-1 pitch with one out in the third. David Wright led off the sixth with his eighth homer of the year. Hughes has yielded at least one home run in each of his 12 starts in 2012.

Mets skipper Terry Collins alluded to the relative ease of hitting home runs in Yankee Stadium and the superior power of the Yankees batters in his post-game remarks, “Singles don’t win games in this park. They [Yankees] showed exactly what it was, you can’t make mistakes here. You have to keep the ball in the ballpark.”

Yankees relievers, Boone Logan, Cory Wade, Clay Rapada and Rafael Soriano combined to keep the Mets scoreless in 2.2 innings. Soriano earned his ninth save in nine attempts.

After the contest, Yankees manager Joe Girardi praised his relief corps, “These guys have really stepped up for us. If your pitchers do their job, you really have a good chance to win. Seventh, eighth and ninth were mapped out for us, now it isn’t.”

Yankees starters have won seven of the last nine games and have an ERA of below 2.00 in June. Girardi explained, “When you get consistency out of all five starters, you can get a streak going.”

Mets superstar David Wright concurred, “They [Yankees] have that kind of pitching that gives them a good chance to win.”

The final game of the Subway Series to be played will feature Andy Pettitte (3-2) against Jonathon Niese (4-2).