Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy each hit a three-run homer, and the Mets roughed up fill-in starter Vidal Nuno to beat the Yankees 12-7 Tuesday night for a two-game sweep in the Bronx.
Granderson connected for the second consecutive game in his old ballpark, helping the Mets jump out to a quick lead after they used four homers to rally for a 9-7 victory the night before.
David Wright had three hits and two RBIs, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-0) pitched 3 2-3 innings in relief of a wild Zack Wheeler as the Mets took their sixth straight win against their crosstown rivals, including a 4-0 mark last year.
Eric Young Jr. scored three runs without a hit, and the Mets won their third in a row overall to return to .500 after losing eight of nine. The banged-up Yankees learned right fielder Carlos Beltran has a bone spur in his right elbow that might require surgery, then lost their fourth in a row to drop to .500 for the first time since April 12. Both teams are 19-19.
The Subway Series shifts to Queens for the final two games, and Mets fans have several reasons to be excited. Pitching prospect Rafael Montero will make his big league debut Wednesday night against high-priced Yankees rookie Masahiro Tanaka.
Lacking the frothy back and forth of the large crowd in the opener, perhaps the biggest cheer of the night from the 45,958 in attendance came when the final score of the New York Rangers' Game 7 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins was flashed on the scoreboard before the bottom of the sixth.
By then, the Mets had taken an 11-5 lead and both starters were long gone in a game that eventually lasted 3 hours, 58 minutes. Frustrated Yankees manager Joe Girardi followed soon after, ejected for arguing a third-strike call on Kelly Johnson that ended the fifth.
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The Mets took advantage of a sloppy Nuno (1-1) at the start. Young was hit by a pitch, Murphy walked on 10 pitches, Wright had an RBI single and, one out later, Granderson hit his fourth homer in 11 games. He had one in his first 26 games with the Mets.
Brian McCann hit a two-run homer in the bottom half as the Yankees pulled to 4-3, but the Mets soon pulled away for good.
Third baseman Yangervis Solarte's errant throw to second while trying to start a double play led to two unearned runs in the fourth. Nuno was chased after Murphy's sacrifice fly. Wright greeted Alfredo Aceves with an RBI single to make it 7-3.
In the fifth, Murphy launched a soaring shot off Aceves toward the full moon hanging over the right field stands. Standing in the batter's box, still holding his bat, Murphy tried some body English to will it fair — the ball hit high off the foul pole.
Wheeler lasted 4 1-3 innings for the Mets, throwing a career-high 118 pitches and matching a career worst with six walks.
Making his fifth start in place of Ivan Nova, out for the season following Tommy John surgery, Nuno gave up seven runs — five earned — on four hits, four walks and a hit batter.
