Yankees 4, Mets 2
NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira smacked a game-turning home run in the sixth to push Phil Hughes and the New York Yankees past Dillon Gee and the New York Mets on Saturday night.
The pitchers had dueled in a battle of improving starters during the Yankees' 4-2 interleague win at Yankee Stadium.
But, thanks to Teixeira's homer, and some help from a fantastic running catch by Curtis Granderson as well as the Yankees bullpen, Hughes came out on top.
Granderson snapped an 18 at-bat hitless string with a home run off Bobby Parnell in the ninth for the Yankees, who won for the fifth time in their last six games.
The Mets threatened in the ninth against closer Rafael Soriano as Ike Davis walked and Omar Quintanilla singled him to third with two outs. But Soriano got pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin on a fly to left to end the game and earn his ninth save of the season.
Boone Logan, Cory Wade and Clay Rapada combined to shut the Mets out for 1 2/3 innings.
David Wright and Quintanilla homered for the Mets, who have lost five of six.
Trailing 2-1, Teixeira came up with two outs in the sixth and Granderson on second after he walked and tagged up on Alex Rodriguez's long fly to left. Teixeira drilled a 2-2 pitch out to right, nudging the Yankees ahead, 3-2.
The next inning, Hughes (6-5) walked off to a huge ovation following his second strong start in a row, after Josh Thole singled with one out on the righty's 108th pitch. Hughes allowed two runs on six hits while striking out six and walking two.
In came the lefty Logan, who was helped by Granderson's impressive play in center. Quintanilla, who had tied the game earlier with his first homer of the season, nearly helped erase the 3-2 deficit, but Granderson ran down his drive to deep left-center field, making an over-the-shoulder catch for the second out.
Righty Wade then came on to face pinch-hitter Scott Hairston, who singled Thole to third. But Andres Torres, who had struck out three times against Hughes, flied to left for the final out.
Wright put the Mets up 2-1 when he led off the sixth with a drive to left-center, giving him his eighth homer of the season.
Gee (4-4) was nearly as good as Hughes, as he threw his fifth consecutive quality start and allowed more than two runs for the first time in his last four. After allowing three hits in the first, he retired 12 of 13 batters before giving up the two runs in the sixth. For the game, he threw seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out five.
Coming off his best game of the season, when he allowed one run on four hits in a complete game win against the Detroit Tigers, Hughes again looked sharp early. He scattered four hits in the first five innings, hurt only by Quintanilla's solo homer to right in the third to tie the score, 1-1.
The Yankees looked to pick up where they left off in Friday's explosive win by rapping out three hits in the first, but Gee escaped by allowing just one run.
Derek Jeter led off with a single, breaking a hitless streak of 17 at-bats. He moved to second on a balk before Rodriguez drove him in with a single to right. Robinson Cano followed with another single and the Yankees loaded the bases when Teixeira was struck in the right foot by a pitch. Teixeira winced in pain, but walked off the injury before Raul Ibanez grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The RBI was the 1,917th of Rodriguez's career, tying him with Eddie Murray for seventh place on the major-league all-time list. Jeter's run scored was the 1,800th of his career, pushing him past Ted Williams into 17th place on the all-time list.
NOTES: Jete's Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner (strained right elbow) had a setback in his rehab and could be out until the All-Star break, manager Joe Girardi said. Gardner will see famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Monday or Tuesday, then consult another noted orthopedist, Dr. Timothy Kremcheck, on Thursday, general manager Brian Cashman said. Gardner was expected back next week, but woke up with pain Saturday, Girardi said. ... Right-hander David Robertson (strained left oblique) will make a rehab appearance for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Rochester, N.Y. on Sunday, and could return by next weekend, Girardi said. ... Right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, who bruised his left foot when it was struck by a line drive Friday, should be able to make his next start, he said. ... Mets center fielder Andres Torres was back in the lineup despite slumping as manager Terry Collins said Torres' speed could help win games.
