Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sports NewsMayfield's Mutterings: Springing into Mutterings

Castillo's error gives Yankees wild win over Mets

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[June 13, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez slammed his bat and then threw it. The first Subway Series game at new Yankee Stadium was over.

And then it wasn't.

Second baseman Luis Castillo dropped A-Rod's lazy popup with two outs in the ninth inning as two runs scored, and the Yankees escaped with a wild 9-8 victory over the Mets on Friday night.

"It's hard to believe," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We kind of got a gift tonight."

David Wright had put the Mets ahead 8-7 with an eighth-inning double off Mariano Rivera (1-2), and Francisco Rodriguez (1-1) appeared to escape a ninth-inning jam on the popup by A-Rod, just 1 for 17 in his career off K-Rod, including the postseason.

But Castillo allowed the ball to pop out of his glove as he tried for a one-handed catch on the right field grass. The Yankees ran onto the field as Derek Jeter scored from second and Mark Teixeira from first.

"We'll have to fight through this," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said. "This is definitely a tremendous test for us."

Misc

Jeter had singled with one out and stole second as pinch-hitter Johnny Damon struck out on the ninth pitch. Teixeira was intentionally walked and Alex Rodriguez got ahead 3-0 before taking a strike and then popping up.

Teixeira ran hard from first the entire way and easily beat the throw. It was the first blown save by K-Rod in 17 chances this season.

On a night the Mets brought some real energy to Yankee Stadium, known thus far for home runs and empty premium seats, the crowd of 47,967 was the largest since opening day but again short of a sellout. Fans saw five more home runs at the Bronx bandbox, raising the total to a major league-leading 110 in 30 games.

Gary Sheffield homered for the Mets, and Robinson Cano, Teixeira, Jeter and Hideki Matsui connected for the Yankees, who wasted leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 7-6 before winning. Matsui turned 35 and homered on his birthday for the second straight year - last year he hit a grand slam off Oakland's Joe Blanton.

Rivera made a rare eighth-inning appearance in a tie game when he relieved with two outs and the score 7-7.

Carlos Beltran reached on just the third walk off Rivera in 26 2-3 innings this year. With the count 2-2, Beltran took off for second and Wright turned on a pitch over the middle of the plate. The ball hit the wall in right-center on a hop, and Beltran scored without a throw as Rivera hung his head and grimaced. Wright is hitting .633 (19 for 30) in his last eight games, raising his major league-leading average to .364.

The Yankees have dominated their Queens rival since interleague play began in 1997, going 37-29 against the Mets during the regular season and winning the 2000 World Series in five games.

But with new ballparks, the Subway Series had a new look this year. And both teams were eager to get back on track - while the Yankees stumbled as they got swept in Boston, the Mets lost two of three at Citi Field to the Philadelphia Phillies.

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The No. 4 train was rolling by when Cano homered in the second, quite appropriate for a Subway Series game. Teixeira's two-run drive over the Yankees bullpen in the third inning was calculated at 440 feet by hittrackeronline.com, second only to Raul Ibanez's 477-foot shot on May 22 at new Yankee Stadium.

Staked to a lead by Cano's homer, Joba Chamberlain gave it back as he threw 43 pitches in the third. Three batters walked, including Beltran on 10 pitches with the bases loaded, and Fernando Martinez and Church were hit, the latter with the bases full.

Teixeira's AL leading-20th homer, a two-run drive, put the Yankees ahead 3-2 in the third.

Brett Tomko relieved to start the fifth and had little zip on his pitches, but he was hurt when right fielder Nick Swisher allowed Beltran's leadoff drive to glance off his glove for a double. Ryan Church's two-run double and Sheffield's two-run drive into the second deck in left field put the Mets ahead 6-3.

But Jeter hit a solo homer in the bottom half off Livan Hernandez, and Matsui put the Yankees ahead 7-6 with a three-run drive in the sixth off Jon Switzer.

Water

That lead didn't last long. Sheffield doubled off David Robertson and scored on Fernando Tatis' double-play grounder against Phil Coke.

NOTES: Sheffield's homer went just inside the left-field foul pole and raised his career total to 505, moving past Eddie Murray into sole possession of 24th place. ... Teixeira has nine homers in his last 15 home games and 13 in his last 25 overall.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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