Yankees rookie Russo hits 2-run double to beat Mets

The first game of the 14th season of the Subway Series produced a familiar result Friday night at Citi Field. The Yankees beat the Mets, 2-1, and lead the regular-season series, 43-30.

The route the Yankees took to victory was not familiar. It wasn't Jeter or A-Rod who beat the Mets. It was Kevin Russo.

Russo, a 25-year-old who was born in West Babylon and went to high school in Boulder, Colo., ripped a two-run double down the rightfield line off reliever Elmer Dessens to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh inning.

Russo, an infielder who only recently began playing the outfield in Triple-A, was called up Thursday and got a surprise start in left. Russo's hit came after second baseman Alex Cora committed a crucial error.

The Yankees snapped a three-game losing streak. The Mets have lost eight of 10.

It was tied entering the seventh because Hisanori Takahashi and Javier Vazquez each threw six scoreless innings. Takahashi left because he'd thrown 101 pitches; Vazquez left with a bruised right index finger, presumably suffered while bunting.

Jerry Manuel, his bullpen tapped out by John Maine's five-pitch start Thursday, called on Dessens to start the seventh. He was called up from Triple-A Buffalo before the game as Maine went on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder weakness.

Nick Swisher led off with a single before Francisco Cervelli hit a slow bouncer to second. Cora fielded it as Swisher crossed in front of him and spun and threw in an attempt to get the force.

Cora's throw was so far to the rightfield side of second base that Jose Reyes didn't try to catch it. Swisher took third and Cervelli second to set up Russo, who had picked up his first big-league hit with a third-inning single.

Attendance was announced as 41,382, which the Mets called a sellout. That seemed odd since the team admitted this week that ticket sales were so slow that it chose to give some away. The stands were about 70 percent full at game time and some sections were not filled even in the later innings.

There are better pitching matchups this weekend - Mike Pelfrey vs. Phil Hughes on Saturday and Johan Santana vs. CC Sabathia on Sunday - but the young studs and the aces will have to work hard to match Takahashi and Vazquez.

Takahashi allowed five hits and one walk and struck out five in his first major-league start. Vazquez, the twice-skipped righthander with the 8.01 ERA, allowed only a single by Angel Pagan with one out in the fifth. He walked two, struck out six and threw just 70 pitches.

After the Yankees took the lead, Vazquez was replaced by David Robertson to start the seventh. Vazquez went for X-rays, which were negative.

A single and a throwing error by Cervelli put two runners on and brought Joba Chamberlain in to face David Wright with one out. Chamberlain struck out Wright and Pagan en route to a perfect 12/3-inning outing.

The Mets scored with two outs in the ninth when Jason Bay and Ike Davis doubled off Mariano Rivera. Rivera got Wright on a first-pitch groundout to second for his eighth save.