Jun 16, 2007, 21:50 GMT
Bronx, NY - Derek Jeter went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, as the Yankees defeated the Mets, 11-8, to take the middle contest of a three- game set.
Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and scored three times for the Yankees, who have 10 wins in their last 11 games.
Yankees' rookie 22-year-old Tyler Clippard got the start and lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on five hits. Luis Vizcaino (3-1) was credited with the victory after pitching 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Veteran Tom Glavine continued to struggle on the mound for the Mets and was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. Glavine (5-5), who is five wins away from reaching the coveted 300 plateau, has failed to record a victory in his last five starts.
'I've had two bad games,' said Glavine. 'It is what it is, it happens.'
David Wright went 1-for-5 with an RBI single and extended his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games for the Mets, who won the opener of the series, but have dropped six of their last seven, and 11 of 14 games this month. Ramon Castro hit a two-run home run, and Ruben Gotay added a solo homer.
The Mets jumped on Clippard early, scoring a run in the first inning to take the lead. Jose Reyes opened the game with a walk and with one out, stole second. Wright followed with a single to bring Reyes home for a 1-0 lead.
Gotay's two-out home run in the second gave the Mets a two-run advantage.
The Bronx Bombers answered with a pair of runs in the home half of the second to even the score at 2-2. Hideki Matsui started things with a single and Robinson Cano walked. A sacrifice bunt by Melky Cabrera moved the runners to second and third and Miguel Cairo's ground out scored Matsui while Johnny Damon's base hit plated Cano.
The Mets regained their lead in the third on a miscue by Clippard. With Reyes on third base, the rookie right-hander balked, allowing Reyes to cross the plate to make it 3-2.
The Yankees responded in the bottom of the frame as Rodriguez belted a two-run homer to put his club on top, 4-3. It was his major league-leading 26th homer of the year.
In the fourth, the Mets jumped back in front after Castro launched a two-run shot that made it 5-4, but Jeter's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth made it 6-5 in favor of the Yankees.
The Yanks added a pair of runs in the fifth to take a three-run lead. Jorge Posada doubled and Scott Schoeneweis relieved Glavine. After Matsui flied out, Cano brought Posada in with a base hit. A two-out single later in the frame by Cairo plated Cano to make it 8-5.
After a rain delay in the sixth, the Yankees went up 10-5 after Matsui knocked in two runs with a single.
A sacrifice fly from Reyes off Kyle Farnsworth in the eighth made it 10-6, while the Yankees made it 11-6 after Cano's ground-rule double to left-center scored Rodriguez.
The Mets scored two runs off Mariano Rivera in the ninth for the final margin.
'We have to put this one in the past and try to win the series tomorrow,' said Reyes.
Game Notes
Jeter has an 11-game hitting streak...The game was delayed about 40 minutes in the sixth inning due to rain...Glavine is 0-4 since his last victory, which came at the expense of the Yankees at Shea Stadium on May 19...Reyes stole two bases for the Mets and has 37 on the season.
© 2007 The Sports Network
Game Notes.
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