Notes From Game 43

Final Score: Mets 7, Yankees 4

Mets: 21-19

Yankees: 20-23

W- Johan Santana (5-2)

L- Andy Pettitte (3-5)

SV- Billy Wagner (9)

Offense: After scoring just six runs in four games at Tampa Bay, the Yankee offense continued to slump, scoring only four runs in a game where their pitching suffered. Last year, in games like this, the Yankee offense could often dig the pitching out of poor games, but that has not been the case this year. The four runs came off a Derek Jeter two-run home run in the first, a Jason Giambi home run in the seventh, and a Bobby Abreu home run in the eighth. The Yankees had a bunch of opportunities to score more runs, but their base running and situational hitting was horrible. On the positive side, Derek Jeter had three hits to raise his average to .314, and Abreu and Giambi each had multi-hit games. On the negative side, Hideki Matsui, Alberto Gonzalez, Melky Cabrera, and Chad Moeller all went hitless, and Shelley Duncan and Morgan Ensberg both got out in pinch-hitting roles in the ninth. The Yankees, at three games under .500, really need to start hitting and manufacturing runs; hopefully, more runs will come with the return of A-Rod next week.

Pitching: Andy Pettitte looked dominant in his first few innings, striking out five of the first seven batters he faced. Through three innings, he had allowed just two hits and no runs. However, he imploded in the fourth inning, allowing three runs, four hits, and two walks, which gave the Mets the lead. He left the game down only 3-2, but the bullpen ended up allowing more runs, and the Yankees just could not come back. With the loss, Pettitte moves to 3-5 on the year with a 4.42 ERA. Kyle Farnsworth, who has been so good for the Yankees this year, gave up three runs in the seventh inning on home runs by Jose Reyes and David Wright. Edwar Ramirez pitched a scoreless eighth, and Joba Chamberlain gave up one run in the ninth to raise his ERA to 2.95. If the bullpen had held the deficit to one run, the Yankees had a very good chance of coming back, but in this game, the bullpen was not successful in doing so. It looks like Willie Randolph's job is safe for one more day.

- Billy Wagner has now allowed 0 earned runs in 17 innings this year.

- Johan Santana has allowed 11 home runs in 9 starts for the Mets. He allowed 33 with the Twins last year.

- Giambi's home run was his 185th with the Yankees, which tied him with Paul O'Neill for 15th most on the all-time Yankee list.

- With Jeter hitting third, Bobby Abreu batted second for the second time this season.