Frank Francisco played warden and locked up the chicken coop.
After calling the Yankees “chickens” — as reported by The Post yesterday — the controversial closer survived last night’s ninth inning and helped the Mets secure a 6-4 victory over their crosstown rival before 40,191 at Citi Field.
“I didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings,” Francisco said after leaving the tying runs on base. “I think a lot of guys took [the comment] the wrong way.”
Francisco said he meant to imply the Yankees often complain about calls. His initial comment to The Post: “I can’t wait to face those chickens,” left his teammates laughing yesterday, as Justin Turner’s boom box blared “The Chicken Dance” and other songs with chicken lyrics. After the game, Miguel Batista and Jordany Valdespin sat across the clubhouse from Francisco and made chicken noises.
“The comment was about sometimes [the Yankees] complain about pitches being balls and strikes,” Francisco said.
Did he notice the Yankees complaining last night?
“They might be complaining right now,” Francisco joked. “But seriously, I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys, especially for [Derek] Jeter, he’s a great player, great guy and I believe he’s a winner. A lot of those guys are very professional and I didn’t mean to call them ‘chicken’ or anything like that.”
Francisco, who earned his 18th save in 21 tries, walked Raul Ibanez with one out in the ninth and allowed a single to Jeter before striking out Curtis Granderson on a 95-mph heater and getting Mark Teixeira on a pop up to end the game and give the Mets (39-32) a fourth straight victory, but first against the Yankees this season. Andres Torres’ lunging catch on Russell Martin’s shot to center leading off the inning might have been Francisco’s saving grace.
“We just wanted to win the game — it doesn’t matter who is out there pitching,” Teixeira said. “We’ve been through enough around here over the last however long, something like [the chicken comment] is just kind of funny.”
Francisco had told The Post he wanted to strike out the side against the Yankees — a feat he had accomplished while pitching for Texas in 2004. But that dream wasn’t realized.
Robinson Cano’s two-run homer in the eighth off Batista gave the Yankees their first real pulse, pulling them within 6-4 after Jon Niese had allowed solo homers to Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
Niese (5-3) gave the Mets a chance by allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings in which he surrendered eight hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Andy Pettitte (3-3) handled the Mets two weeks ago, but scuffled last night, allowing five runs in the first inning — Ike Davis’ three-run homer was the big hit — before settling into a groove, retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.
Turner’s two-run single got the Mets started in the first before Davis lofted the next pitch toward the right-field corner with Nick Swisher giving chase. Swisher reached above the fence and nearly made a highlight reel catch, but the ball popped out of his glove for Davis’ eighth homer of the season and third in the last 10 games.
Pettitte created the jam by walking the leadoff hitter, Torres, and allowing a single to Ronny Cedeno in his first at-bat since coming off the disabled list. With one out, Scott Hairston walked to load the bases for Turner.
Cano’s blast in the eighth almost ensured Francisco would get the call for the ninth.
“I’m sure [Francisco] regrets that [his comments] got out of control,” manager Terry Collins said. “But regardless he was going to pitch the ninth and he’s a big boy and he can go out there and get the job done and he did it.”
mpuma@nypost.com