OFF & RUNNING: Ruben Tejada slides safely home for the Mets on a first-inning double by Daniel Murphy. The Amazin’s continued to pour it on, blasting the Yankees, 9-4, last night in The Bronx, the Mets’ third straight win in this year’s Subway Series. (Anthony J Causi)
OFF & RUNNING: Ruben Tejada slides safely home for the Mets on a first-inning double by Daniel Murphy. The Amazin’s continued to pour it on, blasting the Yankees, 9-4, last night in The Bronx, the Mets’ third straight win in this year’s Subway Series. (Anthony J Causi)
Joe Girardi prefers the Subway Series to be three, five or seven games instead of the four which was this year’s model.
“That way there is a winner,’’ Girardi said of having an odd number of games which would eliminate the chances of a split.
Well, with one remaining tilt, the Mets are the 2013 Subway Series champions after hanging a 9-4 loss on the listless Yankees last night in front of announced crowd of 43,681 at Yankee Stadium.
“For us, this is a big series, because it might be the kick-start to what we
hope will be a good summer,’’ said Mets manager Terry Collins. “So this series means a lot to us. We won three and we’re going to come out [tonight] and grind it out again.”
It was the Mets’ third win in as many Subway Series games and, considering how their season is likely going to end, will easily be its highlight.
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No matter what happens tonight when the 30-22 Yankees hand Vidal Nuno the ball with the hope of stopping a season-high four-game losing streak and the 21-29 Mets ask Dillon Gee to extend their season-best winning streak to five, the Mets have their first Subway Series win since 2008 when they copped four of six.
Of the 17 Subway Series played since interleague play surfaced in 1997 the Mets have won three series, the Yankees eight and there have been six ties.
David Phelps, who took a ball off the inside of the right forearm in his previous start against the Rays, was punished for five runs (four earned), four hits and walked two in one-third of an inning. It was the shortest non-injury outing by a Yankee starter since Alex Graman in 2004.
“It was fine, I didn’t feel it at all,’’ Phelps said of the bruise.
Girardi refused to use the injury as an excuse.
“He didn’t have it. He was up on the zone,’’ the manager said of the right-hander who had a two-game winning streak halted and fell to 3-3. “He felt great. He just had a stinker.’’
Jeremy Hefner was the beneficiary of the Mets bats making loud noises and Yankees third baseman Jayson Nix’s costly error in the first inning. Hefner entered the game with a 0-5 ledger and a 4.76 ERA in 10 games (nine starts). Until last night the Mets hadn’t won a game the right-hander appeared in this season.
Hefner gave up three runs in six innings.
The Yankees scored twice in the sixth to cut the Mets’ lead to 8-3 and added a run in the ninth.
After scoring once in each of the previous two games at Citi Field, the Yankees lineup wasn’t able to dig out of the 5-0 ditch Phelps put the Yankees in.
“I left a lot of balls up and I paid for it,’’ said Phelps, who gave up a single to Ruben Tejada, an RBI double to Daniel Murphy and walked David Wright before registering an out in the first. “I didn’t give us a chance to win. I didn’t make pitches when I needed to.’’
Of the three pitchers to follow Phelps, Preston Claiborne was the best, retiring all five batters he faced. Adam Warren went two and displaced starter Ivan Nova gave up a run and five hits in five frames.
“It stinks, but I am not going to let it kill me,’’ Phelps said.
Since the Yankees didn’t wilt with Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson on the disabled list, it will be interesting how they react to a four-game slide.
“I think we know what we are capable of doing, we just haven’t been swinging the bats well,’’ Brett Gardner said. “It’s tough and frustrating but tomorrow is a new day to try and salvage a win. The last three days the Mets have really had our number.’’
And a rare Subway Series title.
george.king@nypost.com