If New York is truly the best baseball city, a notion that this matchup is always supposed to support, then those who saw the Mets play the Yankees last night must have realized they were not watching the best baseball.
The Mets and the Yankees insist they are immune from the hype that is generated by their interleague meetings, but in the first game of their first series this season, they looked as overexcited as rookies on opening day.
"Their errors hurt them more than ours hurt us," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.
PHOTO: AP
Derek Jeter, the Yankees shortstop and captain, made errors on consecutive plays and struck out three times. Kazuo Matsui and Doug Mientkiewicz, who make up the right side of the Mets' infield, each made an error in a span of two batters and ended up costing the Mets the game. Kevin Brown and Victor Zambrano, the starting pitchers, combined to issue 10 walks, even though neither worked more than five and a third innings.
"We rely a lot on our defense to win games," Mets left fielder Cliff Floyd said. "We gave them too may outs. A team like that will capitalize sooner or later, and they did."
Brown and Zambrano were partly to blame for the mistakes made behind them. They threw so many pitches and went so deep into counts that their fielders started to fidget. Zambrano was in trouble in the top of the sixth, with the score tied at 1-1. Hideki Matsui led off with a single and Alex Rodriguez walked. After a groundout by Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada walked to load the bases. Zambrano got the double-play ball he needed, a hard bouncer to second by Robinson Cano, but Kazuo Matsui's major-league adventure continued.
PHOTO: EPA
The ball kicked off his glove, rolled between his legs and by the time he picked it up, everyone was safe. Never mind that he had supplied the Mets only run to that point, with a double off the wall in left-center field. He was booed for the rest of the game and received mock applause whenever he made a play.
"The fact that the fans are booing Kaz shows that they want him to do well," Hideki Matsui said. "In that sense, it's tough, it's a New York crowd. You really can't control the fan reaction."
Because of Kazuo Matsui's error, Ruben Sierra came from the disabled list to the plate to pinch hit for Brown. He sent a grounder to the right of Mientkiewicz, who is the Mets' most reliable defensive player. But the ball kicked off his glove, and Rodriguez, the benefactor of everyone else's bumbling, came around to score what proved to be the winning run.
PHOTO: AP
"We were right there and couldn't turn a double play," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "You like to play solid defense. That's what we've worked on. But this could happen in any game."
The Yankees nearly gave back the lead when left fielder Tony Womack, formerly a second baseman, whiffed on a fly ball with one out in the top of the eighth inning, but reliever Tom Gordon struck out Kazuo Matsui and pinch-hitter Eric Valent.
Then the Mets made the final mistake. They gave up two runs in the ninth inning after managing to let Womack scamper from first to third base on an infield single by Gary Sheffield.
Perhaps the only impressive play of the game was delivered by Martinez, who had dropped a wind-blown foul ball over the camera well, but made up for it when he caught a line drive from Floyd and stepped on first to double up Carlos Beltran.
The Yankees won at Shea Stadium for the first time since 2003, when Armando Benitez and Jeromy Burnitz were still with the Mets.
Kazuo Matsui came into the game batting .346 with two home runs against the Yankees, but Hideki Matsui had overshadowed him by hitting .378 with five home runs against the Mets. Keeping the trend intact, Hideki Matsui started the scoring with a double into the right-field corner in the top of the fourth inning.
Appearing rattled, Zambrano walked Rodriguez and Martinez to load the bases with one out, but he got Posada to pop up. He sprinted off the field as the home-plate umpire rang up Cano for a strikeout. Zambrano's fourth inning mirrored much of his erratic career -- he issued three walks, threw 14 balls and allowed only one run.
Zambrano and Brown seem to come from the same school of pitching. The Mets had runners reach scoring position in the first three innings against Brown but did not score until the fourth, when they also left Kazuo Matsui at third base with one out. Deliberate as ever, Brown took regular breaks on the mound, bending down almost every inning to pick mud out of his cleats, a result of rain showers early in the afternoon.
Zambrano might have taken a cue from Brown because he slowed his pace significantly. Whenever he lost control, Zambrano tried to calm himself by putting his hand and his glove out in front of his uniform, as if he were creating his own strike zone.
But the Yankees know that the best way to get to Zambrano is to wait him out. Zambrano came up with the Yankees as a shortstop, then was traded to Tampa Bay. There, he went 5-5 with a 4.48 earned run average against the Yankees.
Tony Womack walked twice, stole a base and scored two runs, and Hideki Matsui drove in two of the eight batsmen who reached on walks as the Yankees beat the Mets and won for the 11th time in 12 games.
The Yankees scored twice in the sixth inning on consecutive errors by second baseman Kaz Matsui and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.
Facing his mentor, Joe Torre, for the first time, Mets manager Willie Randolph gambled on the bases, sending his baserunners often, and in the field, bringing the infield in during the fourth inning of a scoreless game.
That move backfired when Hideki Matsui lined a double past Mientkiewicz for a run. The Mets got a run back in the bottom half when Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter made two errors.
Kevin Brown (3-4), who won his third straight start, gave up only three hits and an unearned run, struck out five and walked four in five innings. The Mets' Victor Zambrano (2-4) walked six in 5 1-3 innings.
White Sox 5 Cubs 1
Freddy Garcia outpitched Greg Maddux, and Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye homered as the White Sox beat the Cubs 5-1 on Friday in the first of six interleague games between the Chicago foes.
Garcia (4-3) surrendered five singles. He lost his shutout bid in his seventh and final inning on an unearned run. Second baseman Tadahito Iguchi dropped Henry Blanco's popup for a two-base error, and Jerry Hairston hit a two-out RBI single to make it 4-1.
"We got some big two-out hits," said White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played last year with the Giants. "I was there for Maddux's 300th win. It was kind of cool, they said it might never happen again. He's a great pitcher and a Hall of Fame pitcher and today we got the best of him."
Mired in a 1-for-21 slump, Crede hit his fourth homer leading off the fifth to give the Cubs and Garcia a 2-0 lead. Dye's seventh homer, a solo shot off Mike Remlinger in the eighth, put the White Sox ahead 5-1 and on the way to their major league-best 30th win of the season.
"I guess the wind changed when I hit it," Crede said with a laugh.
Maddux (2-2) gave up nine hits and four runs -- three earned -- in seven innings.
Rangers 7, Astros 3
In Arlington, Texas, Kenny Rogers' scoreless streak was snapped at 31 innings, but he held Houston to three runs in eight innings and got a lot of help from Laynce Nix.
Nix hit a three-run homer, had six RBIs and made a run-saving throw from center field to help the 40-year-old Rogers improve to 5-2.
Rogers' streak -- the third-longest in Rangers history and eight innings shy of his club record set in 1995 -- ended when Brad Ausmus' one-out single in the top of the second scored Morgan Ensberg.
The inning could have been much worse. Jason Lane, who reached on a double down the third-base line, also tried to score on Ausmus' line drive to center, but Nix threw him out at the plate.
Two innings later, Nix homered off Brandon Backe (3-3).
Cardinals 7, Royals 6
In Kansas City, Missouri, John Mabry hit a grand slam and an RBI double to power St. Louis to its sixth straight victory over cross-state rival St. Louis.
Mark Mulder (6-1) scuffled through 5 2-3 innings but won his sixth decision in a row and improved his career record against Kansas City to 9-1. The left-hander gave up four runs and seven hits, twice loading the bases with none out. He struck out two and walked a season-high five.
Albert Pujols also had three hits and scored two runs for the Cardinals, who have won 12 of their last 13 interleague games.
Jason Isringhausen got three outs for his 10th save in 10 chances. After a leadoff single by Tony Graffanino in the ninth, Mike Sweeney grounded into a double play and Emil Brown struck out to end it.
Mabry connected off Zack Greinke (0-5) in the first for the first grand slam of his 10-year career.
Blue Jays 6, Nationals 1
In Toronto, Ted Lilly struck out a season-high eight in five innings, and Vernon Wells homered twice for Toronto against Washington _ the former Montreal Expos making their first visit to Canada since moving in the offseason.
Marlon Byrd drove in the lone run for the Nationals with an RBI single in the fourth.
Lilly (2-4) and allowed five hits while beating Claudio Vargas (0-2). Wells hit a two-run homer off Vargas (0-2) in the fourth and a solo shot off Zach Day in the eighth for the eighth multihomer game of his career.
Toronto scored five runs in the fourth. Aaron Hill hit a two-run triple off Vargas for his first major league hit, and Ken Huckaby added an RBI single.
Red Sox 4, Braves 3
In Boston, Wade Miller retired his first eight batters and allowed three hits in 6 1-3 innings as Boston edged Atlanta.
Miller (1-0) sent the Braves to their fourth straight loss. He struck out five, walked two and left after Johnny Estrada's second hit of the game -- a one-out double in the seventh.
Keith Foulke worked the ninth and got his 11th save despite giving up a double to Chipper Jones, a run-scoring triple to Andruw Jones and an RBI single to Johnny Estrada. But Foulke got Julio Franco to ground into a game-ending double play.
Atlanta's Tim Hudson (4-3) gave up four runs and eight hits, including homers by Jason Varitek and Bill Mueller, in six innings.
Reds 2, Indians 1
In Cincinnati, Aaron Harang allowed only four hits and struck out a season-high nine in 7 1-3 innings for Cincinnati, which got homers from Adam Dunn and Felipe Lopez to beat Cleveland, winning for only the fifth time in their last 21 games.
Harang (3-2) was relieved by Kent Mercker, who gave up a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to Jose Hernandez in the eighth. Then Ryan Wagner walked two batters to load the bases with two outs.
Manager Dave Miley was booed when he then called on closer Danny Graves. The bullpen ace who has lashed out at fans for booing during the Reds' downturn, struck out Travis Hafner to end the threat and finished up for his 10th save.
Twins 7, Brewers 1
In Minneapolis, Carlos Silva pitched a five-hitter for his second career complete game, and seven Minnesota batters drove in one run apiece to trounce Milwaukee.
Shannon Stewart and Nick Punto, holding the top two spots in the lineup, had seven hits between them to spark the Twins, who knocked Brewers starter Gary Glover (2-3) out in a four-run second. Punto went 4-for-4, his first career four-hit game.
Silva (3-2) gave up only Damian Miller's home run in the fifth. He struck out three without a walk -- throwing just 74 pitches, 54 for strikes. Milwaukee's Jorge De La Rosa, who relieved Glover, threw 58 pitches in just 2 1-3 innings.
Marlins 7, Devil Rays 6
In Miami, Mike Lowell and Paul Lo Duca drove in three runs each to back Al Leiter as Florida edged Tampa Bay.
Leiter (2-4) gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his fourth save in five chances, giving up an RBI single to pinch-hitter Travis Lee.
Hideo Nomo (2-4) dropped to 0-7 in 10 starts at Florida, giving up seven runs -- six earned -- eight hits and four walks in five innings.
Damon Hollins and Julio Lugo had two RBIs apiece for the Devil Rays, who lost for the seventh time in nine games.
Alex Sanchez, who entered as a defensive replacement in the sixth, doubled in the seventh to reach base for his eighth straight plate appearance, tying a Tampa Bay record.
Phillies 9, Orioles 3
In Baltimore, Randy Wolf pitched six innings to run his record against the Orioles to 4-0, and Chase Utley hit a two-run homer to help Philadelphia beat Baltimore for its fourth victory in five games.
Wolf (3-4) went six innings, allowing two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits, walking two and striking out six.
Utley, who had three RBIs, homered off Daniel Cabrera (3-3) in the second in his first career Camden Yards at-bat, giving the Phillies a home run in 12 consecutive games.
Kenny Lofton, activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game, and Jimmy Rollins had three hits each for Philadelphia. Bobby Abreu drove in two runs.
Jeff Fiorentino homered for the Orioles.
Athletics 8, Giants 4
In San Francisco, Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning and had a career-high five RBIs as Oakland defeated San Francisco in the Bay Bridge series opener.
Eric Chavez had a tiebreaking single during Oakland's five-run seventh, when four San Francisco pitchers couldn't stop one of the majors' worst offenses. Bobby Kielty matched his career high with four hits and scored three runs as the A's got their third victory in four games following an eight-game skid.
Keiichi Yabu (4-0) allowed two hits and two walks in two innings of relief. Kirk Rueter (2-3) allowed four runs, eight hits and four walks in 6 1-3 innings.
Padres 6, Mariners 1
In Seattle, Jake Peavy (4-0) pitched three-hit ball for seven shutout innings and matched a season high with 10 strikeouts as San Diego extended its inning streak to eighth. The Padres have won 17 of their last 20 games.
Colorado Rockies reliever Tsao Chin-hui will have arthroscopic surgery next week on his right shoulder.
The surgery will be on Wednesday in Denver, the team said on Friday. No date was set for Tsao's return to the team.
The Taiwanese right-hander is 1-0 with three saves and a 6.55 ERA.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said Tsao's torn labrum will be repaired, with an exploratory procedure also scheduled to determine if there is any rotator cuff damage.
"This is the best-case scenario for him, to have the labrum surgery performed ... to go in and put the thing together so that he's 100 percent," Hurdle said.
Tsao's shoulder kept him sidelined until April 12. He appeared in 10 games before being placed on the disabled list on May 13.
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