Santana breezes until the eighth

Johan Santana looked every bit the ace last night. Still, a win for the Mets lefthander hung in the balance until the very end.

Santana gave up one earned run and six hits in 7 2/3 innings to decisively win the pitching duel against Yankees starter CC Sabathia. But he had to wait until the final out to celebrate; the Mets allowed three runs in the ninth but held on to beat the Yankees, 6-4, in the Subway Series rubber match.

It was Santana's first win since April 27.

"It's always good to get a 'W,' no question," he said. "But it's not just about an individual or me getting the win. Just to see the atmosphere in here, everybody's happy, everybody's excited. Tonight was a pretty good one."

Though he wasn't on the bench watching during those final innings - Santana said he was in the clubhouse icing his left arm - he said he wasn't worried about the outcome. Even after the Yankees brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth in Alex Rodriguez.

"I know what K-Rod can do," Santana, who walked three and struck out five, said of the Mets' closer. "We're professionals and these guys know how to take care of business. And I trust them 100 percent."

Santana (105 pitches, 69 for strikes) coasted through the first six innings, retiring 13 in a row. But the Yankees, who trailed 6-0 entering the seventh, scored a run and then loaded the bases in the eighth, ending his night. Manager Jerry Manuel handed the ball to Pedro Feliciano, who got Robinson Cano to pop out to end the inning.

Santana said he didn't argue with the manager's decision. "He had his mind set to bring Feliciano in and it worked out pretty good," he said. "I think it was the right move and it was the difference in the inning."

"It was an outstanding outing," Manuel said of Santana. "It was big for him to step up in the fashion that he did."