Slam gives Yankees' Teixeira a shot of confidence

Mark Teixeira hustled out of the batter's box toward first base, all the while tracking the flight of the ball with his eyes.

He didn't have to worry long. Mets leftfielder Jason Bay soon ran out of room and watched helplessly as the ball hit the top of the wall above the auxiliary scoreboard and ricocheted into the stands.

A day after hitting a two-run home run off Mike Pelfrey, Teixeira crushed his fifth career grand slam. The third-inning shot off Johan Santana gave the Yankees a 4-0 victory over the Mets in the Subway Series II rubber match at Yankee Stadium.

"I didn't get all of it," he said of Santana's 91-mph down-and-in fastball. "It got in on me a little bit, but just got enough of it to get out."

The Yankees loaded the bases with none out for Teixeira when Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter singled and Nick Swisher reached on a bunt single - and a little Mets miscommunication.

First baseman Ike Davis moved to field Swisher's push bunt and both Santana and second baseman Ruben Tejada scampered to cover first. But as Davis tossed the ball to Santana, the pitcher collided with Tejada and the ball hit off Santana's glove.

"You've got a good pitcher like Santana, with a good changeup, that's the last thing I wanted to do: roll over sometimes into a double play," Swisher said. " . . . I know we have some big boppers coming up behind me; let them boys drive them in. And it worked out well. I looked like a genius."

With the bases loaded, Santana returned to the mound to face Teixeira. And it didn't take long for him to clear the bases.

"It definitely makes you relax and lets you concentrate on what you have to do," Yankees starter CC Sabathia said of Teixeira's big hit.

The first baseman's .226 batting average is well below the .290 career average he brought into this season. But recently he's strung together some good at-bats against some of the best pitchers in the game. He hit a solo home run off Roy Halladay in Tuesday's 8-3 victory over the Phillies and took Pelfrey deep - from the left side of the plate - in Saturday's 5-3 win.

Teixeira (1-for-3) said his confidence was boosted even more after hitting his 12th homer of the season and lifting his RBI total to 44.

"It always helps when you hit good pitchers," said Teixeira, who had hit his most recent grand slam as a member of the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 3, 2008, off Edwar Ramirez at Yankee Stadium.

But Teixeira's pleasant demeanor grew chilly when he was pressed by a reporter about his struggles at the plate this season.

"I hit a grand slam today," said the soon-to-be father of three. "I hit a home run yesterday. I hit a home run against Roy Halladay. Next question."