Mired in Metropolitan Malaise

The first installment of the 2010 Subway Series went to the Bronx Bombers. The Mets hosted the Yankees at Citi Field Friday night in the opening game of a three game New York-New York series. Javier Vazquez enjoyed an outstanding outing, a six inning shutout stint for his second solid start in as many tries. The Yankee hurler pitched one-hit ball as the Bombers outlasted their cross town rivals, 2-1. The Mets didn’t score until the final frame and fell for the fifth consecutive time to the players wearing pinstripes. They clearly need an urgent survival kit if they anticipate any semblance of a playoff berth.
The Yankees’ offense provided a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to finally break a scoreless tie. Kevin Russo took the only Yankee RBIs of the night when he launched a two run double off 39 year old Met reliever, Elmer Dessens. It was rookie Russo’s second major league hit. The first came during the third inning off New York starting lefthander, Hisanori Takahashi. The Japanese pitcher was making his Major League debut and succeeded in stifling the Bombers through six innings. Takahashi scattered six hits and struck out five. The Yankees couldn’t score until Russo’s crack found the right field grass in the seventh off the bullpen. Alex Rodriguez shared a pair of hits and a walk in the victory to reach base three times.
Vazquez earned his third win of the season for Joe Girardi’s Yankees with a pinpoint fastball. He walked Alex Cora in the first inning before setting down eight straight batters. It was the righty’s first look at a National League club since he threw for Atlanta a season ago. Vazquez dominated the Mets through six, but was pulled after fouling off a bunt and bloodying his finger. Girardi swapped his starter with just 70 pitches on his ledger with reliever, Dave Robertson. Jerry Manuel’s Mets mustered a meager hit off Vazquez and added one more against the Bomber bullpen until Mariano Rivera in the ninth. Vazquez allowed a one-out single in the fifth to Angel Pagan and Robertson yielded a hit to the first batter he faced in the seventh, Cora. Damaso Marte and Joba Chamberlain rescued the Yankees after backstop, Francisco Cervelli’s seventh inning errors. Chamerbalin fanned three of the five Mets he faced.
Rivera entered the ninth inning seeking his first save since the last day in April. The future Hall-of-fame closer recorded the first two outs before Jason Bay shot the ball off the left field wall for a double. Ike Davis doubled to cut the deficit to one on the first offering he saw from Rivera. Struggling third baseman, David Wright, ruined the harried Mets’ hapless hopes for a home rally with a game ending groundout. The banged-up Yankees defeated the deflated Mets during a tight contest in front of a record Citi Field crowd. Phil Hughes opposes the Mets’ Mike Pelfrey in tonight’s game two of the series.

Parting Points: The Blackhawks are very much in control of the Sharks.

Song of the moment- “My Hero”- Foo Fighters