Santana effective, Sabathia isn't as Mets win, 6-4

The enduring image of the Subway Series is a Yankees fan and a Mets fan, totally decked out in team gear, good-naturedly (we hope) taunting each other.

Today, Mets fans can have the last word because K-Rod got the better of A-Rod for the final out of the Mets' 6-4 victory over the Yankees at Citi Field last night.

The Mets took two of three in the series. The teams meet again June 18-20 at Yankee Stadium.

The game wasn't over until Francisco Rodriguez struck out Alex Rodriguez on a 3-and-2 changeup after the Yankees scored three runs in the ninth and had the tying runs on base.

"A-Rod, to me, is one of the best hitters that I will face," K-Rod said. "In that situation, you don't want to be against him . . . But I got it done."

Johan Santana pitched 72/3 innings and Jason Bay had two home runs and three RBIs for the Mets, who battered CC Sabathia for 10 hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings.

The Mets took a 6-1 lead into the ninth before Juan Miranda singled home a run. That prompted Jerry Manuel to replace Ryota Igarashi with Rodriguez, who had picked up a five-out save Saturday night.

Derek Jeter doubled to left to drive in a run and put runners on second and third. David Wright threw out Brett Gardner on a close play at first, with a run scoring, and Mark Teixeira beat out an infield hit to bring Alex Rodriguez to the plate. "I was right where you want to be," A-Rod said. "He gave me some pitches to hit. I fouled them back. I wish I could have them back."

The teams parted ways for a day off today going in different directions. The last-place Mets crept to within one game of .500 at 22-23 and will host the first-place Phillies for three games starting tomorrow.

The Yankees, meanwhile, lost five of seven games in a week of big matchups. They split two with the Red Sox and lost two to the first-place Rays before stumbling in the final two games against the Mets after a 2-1 win Friday. "We've had better weeks," Joe Girardi said. And that was before the game.

The Yankees (26-18) left Citi Field in second place in the AL East, six games behind the Rays.

Dare to dream, Mets fans? Your team is closer to first: five games out in the NL East.

In last night's expected battle of aces before a Citi Field record crowd of 41,422, Santana (4-2) dominated and Sabathia (4-3) was hit hard.

The Mets scored four two-out runs in the second inning. Alex Cora singled home a pair to give the Mets a 2-0 lead before Bay hit a two-run shot to left-centerfield for his second home run of the season.

The $66-million leftfielder, who had four hits in Saturday's 5-3 Mets win, hit a solo homer to right-center leading off the fifth to make it 5-0. Ike Davis then singled and scored on David Wright's double for a 6-0 lead.

Bay's homer was his seventh consecutive at-bat with a hit. He also walked in the first inning and was hit in the back by a 75-mph curveball from Sergio Mitre in the sixth.

Umpires warned both benches after Bay was plunked. Girardi came out to discuss the matter and could be seen mouthing the word "curveball," as if to say, "Why in the world do you think he was throwing at him when the pitch was 75 miles per hour?"

Jerry Manuel called the warnings an "overreaction."Santana shut out the Yankees for the first six innings, allowing four singles. He retired 13 in a row from the third inning to two outs into the seventh, when he walked Nick Swisher.

Francisco Cervelli then singled off the top of the wall in the leftfield corner to score Swisher. The ball appeared to hit the orange line on the padding on top of the wall just under the foul pole before bouncing right to Bay. After a short replay review, the umpires decided the ball had not left the yard.