A day after suffering the most crushing defeat of a season already peppered with misery, the New York Mets today managed to bounce back as an off-and-on drizzle came down in the Bronx.
Luis Castillo, the hero/goat of last night's game, received a standing ovation when he led of the game from the smattering of fans who braved the weather and ticket prices. To his credit, not only did Castillo face the press last night and again this afternoon, he would go 2-for-5 – and play flawless D.
The Mets broke through early. With Fernando Tatis on second following a walk and a Ryan Church sac fly, catcher Omir Santos dropped a high fly ball into the first row of the left field seats, putting the Mets up 2-0.
Fernando Nieve made the start for the Amazin's, his first since 2006. After surrendering a solo homer to Alex Rodriguez to cut his lead in half, Nieve settled in, retiring the next eight Yankee hitters. On the day, Nieve went 6 2/3 innings, allowing only 4 hits, 2 walks and 2 runs.
The veteran Pettite, meanwhile, struggled all day, failing to have a single 1-2-3 inning all day and giving Yankee fans a scare in the third, before the wheels came completely off in the fifth.
At one point in the Yankees half of the 3rd inning, there was activity in the home team's bullpen, causing concern that Pettitte's back troubles had again flared up. Asked by Fox's Joe Buck and Tim McCarver what was wrong with his pitcher, manager Joe Girardi laughed it at off as Pettite merely having "trouble breathing." Oh, is that all?
Carlos Beltran led off the fifth with a single and David Wright then ripped a double into the left field corner moving Beltran to third. Beltran came around on Gary Sheffield's single to right, and Wright then came home on a fielder's choice off the bat of Fernando Tatis. After a strikeout by Church, Santos drew blood once again, doubling home Tatis. Petitte was able to get Fernando Martinez to ground out, ending the inning. But by then it was too late. That was last anybody would see of Pettite.
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Nieve retired the first two batters in the 7th before running into trouble. Melky Cabrera hit a single to center and promptly went to third on a single by Brett Gardner. Having gotten far more out of Nieve than he could've reasonably hoped, Mets manager Jerry Manuel called in right-handed reliever Sean Green.
Derek Jeter brought home Cabrera with an infield single, but Green stopped the bleeding, getting Johnny Damon to ground out to first. Green then put the Bombers down in order in the 8th, before handing the ball over to K-Rod.
Rodriguez made quick work of Posada, Matsui and Cabrera in the 9th, helping to wash away the taste of Friday's unpleasantness, and secure a 6-2 victory.
