Those Mets

WRIGHT FAILS IN CLUTCH & METS FALL IN THRILLING SUBWAY SERIES PITCHERS DUEL

In need of a good performance to convince a skeptical world that he is capable of pitching well for the Yankees in New York, Javier Vazquez produced a command performance Friday night, and it was within the city limits, too. The fact that it came against an offense struggling desperately to find its way does not tarnish the accomplishment. In his best outing of the season, Vazquez outdueled Hisanori Takahashi, who was making his first major league start, and held the Mets to one hit over six innings to lead the Yankees to a 2-1 victory in the first game of the Subway Series before a crowd of 41,382 at Citi Field. While the Yankees ended a three-game losing streak, the Mets lost for the eighth time in 10 games, which certainly will not ease the pressure on Manager Jerry Manuel, whose job status is cast into further doubt with each passing loss. There was speculation that a sweep at the hands of the Yankees could determine his fate, but before the game General Manager Omar Minaya indicated the three games against the Yankees were not necessarily the litmus test for the embattled manager. “The Subway Series has nothing to do with Jerry,” Minaya said. What could end up costing him his job is his team’s continuing inability to find a consistent offensive groove. Mets batters managed only two harmless hits Friday until the ninth inning, when Jason Bay and Ike Davis hit consecutive doubles off Mariano Rivera to score the team’s only run of the game. But Rivera recovered by getting David Wright to ground out to second base on the first pitch to end the game and earn his eighth save. Vazquez was dominant in his best outing of the season, which in turn built off a quality performance in his last start against the Tigers. He limited the Mets to one hit as he allowed only three base runners and faced just one batter over the minimum. The Mets had pounded out 15 hits and 10 runs a day earlier against the Washington Nationals. Vazquez left the game after he bruised his right index finger while dropping down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the seventh. X-rays were negative and Vazquez said he would make his next start, which would not necessarily have been good news two weeks ago. “The last three times he went out, he’s thrown well,” said Joe Girardi, the Yankees’ manager. “It looks like he’s getting his stuff back and locating.” While the Yankees may have found the Vazquez they were hoping for at the beginning of the season, the Mets appear to have found a replacement for Oliver Perez in Takahashi. As good as Vazquez was, Takahashi stayed close with him. He allowed five hits in six scoreless innings and more than once made the Yankees look confused. After the game, Manuel all but promised that Takahashi would be in the rotation, although the Mets’ manager has been known to change his mind. “Yeah,” Manuel said about Takahashi’s staying in the rotation. “I would have to say that. He pitched extremely well.” But when the Mets turned to Elmer Dessens, who was called up earlier in the day to replace John Maine after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list, the Yankees pounced, scoring both of their runs. A throwing error by Alex Cora eliminated the possibility of a double play in the seventh inning, allowing Kevin Russo the opportunity to knock in both runs with a double into the right-field corner. Russo also collected his first major league hit earlier in the game. “Both are great,” said Russo, an infielder by trade who started in left field Friday. “But it’s good to get that first hit out of the way. It’s just fun to play. I’m comfortable wherever I play as long as I’m playing baseball.” Vazquez gave up two walks while striking out six, and required only 70 pitches to do it. Those are impressive numbers, even against the offensively challenged Mets. He came into the game with an 8.01 earned run average, still looking to prove his viability to skeptical Yankee fans. He set down nine of the first 10 batters he faced and 12 of the first 14 before he gave up a hit on Angel Pagan’s bloop over Derek Jeter at shortstop in the fifth. The left-handed Takahashi came close to matching Vazquez with guile and creativity. Thrust into the starting rotation because of the hamstring injury to Jon Niese, Takahasi is perhaps more comfortable as a starter after spending almost all of his 10-year career with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants in that role. He did not appear to be fazed by the circumstances, allowing five hits and walking one while striking out five, including Jeter twice and Robinson Cano once. Most important, he made the important pitch whenever it was most needed. He did not figure in the decision, but he lowered his E.R.A. to 2.53. Takahashi said that, although he had faced Jeter and Alex Rodriguez in an exhibition game in Japan six years ago, he had done most of his scouting of the team on television in Japan, where Yankee games were regularly broadcast during the Hideki Matsui years. “But it was kind of scary watching them face to face,” he said through his interpreter. “So I didn’t watch their faces.” (NY Times)