Red Sox 6, Yankees 4: If Johnny Damon had caught the ball, things might have turned out differently. With the Yankees leading, 3-1, and two Red Sox on base, Kevin Youkilis lifted a high drive to left field, and Damon appeared to have it in his glove. Then gravity kicked in, Damon returned to Earth, and, after literally hanging on top of the wall, the ball fell to the warning track. That proved to be the turning point. ...

According to sources on the Mets' flight to St. Louis, shortstop Jose Reyes confronted beloved former player Keith Hernandez over remarks Hernandez made on SNY about Reyes. Last Sunday, Hernandez criticized Reyes throwing his glove after committing an error during the Yankees-Mets game (which the Mets eventually won) saying Reyes had to "get over that. Enough babying going on now. He's a grown man. He's been around a long enough time. Take off the kid......

If Derek Jeter hadn't made an error that led to two unearned runs being scored in the top of the first, the Yankees still would have lost. That's because the bats, which looked so lively against the Rangers on Wednesday, did nothing against Boston's Jon Lester on Thursday. Jeter's error, the latest downplayed miscue from an aging "shortstop," didn't cost the team the game. Even if he hadn't thrown a ball that should have completed a double play into first-basethe camera well, Andy Pettitte still wouldn't have had his best stuff. This is the first time the teams played after Memorial Day without one of them being in first place since September 2007. The Yanks will need to win two of the next three to avoid falling further behind Boston -- and first-place Tampa Bay....

Sidney Ponson, who will soon be forgotten himself, made a start that will be forgotten. That's thanks in part to his ineffectiveness but mostly to the Yanks' offensive explosion spearheaded by Jason Giambi (grand slam, six RBIs) and Alex Rodriguez (homer, three RBIs, four runs scored). Every Yankees starter had a hit. That includes Brett Gardner, who could be the new center fielder if Melky Cabrera continues his sour play. Ponson, picked up as a stopgap measure, was barely decent -- but fully clothed -- until the sixth inning, when he allowed a pair of two-run home runs. But then the Yankees exploded for a nine-run seventh. ...

Photograph of Tony Armas giving a fist pound to Damion Easley who scored on a double by Ramon Casto by Tom Gannam/AP Mets 7 St. Louis 4: The Mets called up Tony Armas to make this start and while he struggled early, he delivered in the end. The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead and took a 3-1 lead after two. But, the Mets’ offense struck back while Armas kept them in the......

Photograph of umpire Dan Iassogna and Texas Rangers' Josh Hamilton watch New Yankees catcher Jose Molina after being hit by a pitch by Kathy Willens/AP Texas 2 Yankees 1: For the second game in a row, the Yankees’ offense took the day off. Apart from an Alex Rodriguez home run and a Jason Giambi triple (yes really) the Yankees only managed two other hits and only drew three walks. The lack of punch spoiled......

Mets 3 Yankees 1: It’s clear that Oliver Perez needs to make all his starts against the Yankees. Back in May, Perez dominated the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Sunday it was another dominating performance, this time at Shea. Perez allowed only three hits over seven innings while striking out 8. Another Met who will be sorry to see the Subway Series end is Carlos Delgado. Delgado hit his third home run of the series, a......

Photograph of Carlos Delgado leaping for an errant throw from David Wright and trying to tag Alex Rodriguez out (but A-Rod was ruled safe) by Julie Jacobson/AP Yankees 3, Mets 2: Andy Pettitte pitched through a rain delay, and Johan Santana couldn't pitch through another meager output from the Mets bats. Pettitte came out after a 53-minute rain delay and gave up a solo homer to David Wright. But that only made the game......

Yesterday's unusual double-header subway series, with the first afternoon game at Yankee Stadium and the evening game at Shea Stadium, might have been a commuting nightmare for devoted fans trying to catch both games. But the teams got full police escorts to the stadiums--it only took 17 minutes for the team and media buses to head from Queens to the Bronx and 20 minutes for the Bronx-to-Queens travels! But one Daily News reporter who decided......

Photo of David Wright congratulating Carlos Delgado after a grand slam in Yankee Stadium by AP/Frank Franklin II Photo of Jose Molina congratulating Bobby Abreu at Shea Stadium by AP/Julie Jacobson Eight hours of baseball in two different stadiums ended with both the Mets and Yankees scoring 15 runs and earning a split of their doubleheader. The first game was the “Carlos Delgado Show” as Delgado hammered Yankees’ pitching for nine RBI’s thanks to......

Photograph of David Wright being congratulated by third base coach Luis Aguayo after his solo home run by Julie Jacobson/AP Mets 8 Seattle 2: New York came out angry and scored early as they romped to a sweep-avoiding victory. Maybe it was Jerry Manuel’s decision to change the team's warmup routine, maybe it was the thought of being swept by the worst team in the American League. Whatever the reason, the Mets showed some......

Photograph of Jerry Manuel arguing with home plate umpire Brian Runge, who then threw Manuel out of the game, by Julie Jacobson/AP Mariners 11, Mets 0: Yes, the Mets are on the verge of being swept by the worst team in baseball. Seattle rocked Mets starter Oliver Perez for six runs in five innings and the Mets looked lost against Mariners knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. To be fair, they would look lost against a slow-pitch......

Fred Wilpon has come out and publicly endorsed his GM Omar Minaya and defended the handling of Willie Randolph’s dismissal. “I think Omar has done a great job,” Wilpon told reporters Monday at MLB headquarters while also explaining the thought process behind Randolph’s termination saying it was handled the way it was out of respect for Willie. "You can always look over your shoulder and think things like that, but the intent here clearly was......

Photograph of Carlos Beltran sliding into home--and Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez--by Seth Wenig/AP It seemed like such an innocent play at the time. Willie Blumquist grounded to third for what should have been an easy out, but David Wright bobbled the ball and the bases were loaded. But, the pitcher was due up and pitchers can’t hit, especially American League ones, right? Wrong, Felix Hernandez became the first AL pitcher in 37 years to......

Yankees 4 Cincinnati 1: The Yankees did just enough to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Reds. Andy Pettitte went six-strong, not allowing a run and striking out four. He probably would have pitched longer, but the game was delayed 50 minutes due to rain. Jason Giambi provided the big hit, a two-run double in the sixth that gave New York a comfortable lead. Mariano Rivera, who had to come into the game......

Cincinnati 4 Yankees 2: It has been 32 years since the Reds last appeared at Yankee Stadium and they picked up where they left off. In 1976, it was a two-game sweep to win the World Series. In 2008, the stakes were not as high, but the Reds had Edinson Volquez, the best pitcher in the NL so far, on the mound and he delivered. Volquez earned his 10th win of the season, allowing only......

Willie Randolph, who went from being perceived as terse and incompetent to bloodied scapegoat in the matter of three or four days, tells the story Friday of his midnight firing in an article in the Daily News. In it, he says how stunned he was when Mets general manager Omar Minaya told him the bad news in the Anaheim hotel. He also gives a blow-by-blow account of how it happened. When Minaya started talking to......

Some say that Jerry Manuel and Willie Randolph are too similar, but somehow we can't envision Randolph, the former Mets manager saying what Manuel did on Tuesday night, even jokingly. When Jose Reyes was removed from the game after he experienced tightness in his hamstring, he had a helmet throwing-hissy-fit. Reyes later apologized to Manuel, but the new manager cracked to Reyes:"I told him next time he does that I'm going to get my blade......

The Mets' midnight firing of manager Willie Randolph and two other coaches continues to piss off various parties. The Post uses a little bit of Photoshop magic to place a knife in new manager Jerry Manuel's hand--aimed right at Randolph's back--for today's back cover. Some fans in Syosset sent Mets owner Fred Wilpon a box containing five raw chickens (not on ice, either) plus their season tickets. The fans are Georgi Vodka owner Martin......

Photograph of Alex Rodriguez celebrating with third base coach Bobby Meacham after A-Rod hit a third-inning home run by Frank Franklin II/AP Yankees 8 Padres 5: Is it a coincidence that the Yankees have gone 19-9 since A-Rod returned to the lineup? You certainly have to give Posada some credit too, but the lineup is scoring again and the Yankees have been able to overcome some rough pitching, especially from their bullpen. Wednesday night......

The debacle of how the Mets handled firing Willie Randolph was Jon Stewart's first topic on last night's The Daily Show. Stewart, a loyal Mets fan, was not happy--video is above. And David Letterman also considered the Mets' lackluster season so far on his Late Show Top 10 list (video directly above). Number 10 is "Less horseplay, more grab-ass." Yesterday, the Post's Mike Vaccaro's column summed up the problem with general manager Omar Minaya......

The local papers have weighed in and made the Mets' firing of manager Willie Randolph their number 1, 2 and 3 topics. Angry over how Randolph was fired (flying him all the way out to Los Angeles?!? And Omar Minaya claiming that the media speculation pushed him to fire Randolph?), yes, but the tabloids were probably angry over something else: The fact that the firing took place around midnight PST/3 a.m. ESt, which meant it was too late to get into yesterday papers! So today, it's all about the Mets....

Yankees 8, Padres 0: One day after getting devastating news about Chien-Ming Wang, the Yankees pounded the Padres to continue their domination of the Pacific Coast National League. Andy Pettitte, who put forth a second straight dominant outing got plenty of help, including two homers from Jason Giambi and a bomb to center field from Alex Rodriguez. A few words on Giambi, who was written off for dead: He has unbelievable numbers since May 1.......

Photo of Omar Minaya and Willie Randolph from October 2, 2007 when it was announced that Randolph would continue as the Mets manager in 2008 by AP/Craig Ruttle After firing Willie Randolph following last night's game against the Angels, Mets general manager Omar Minaya finally met with the media today. During the press conference this afternoon, Minaya said the decision to relieve Randolph of his coaching duties "was my decision and it was a......

The rumors swirled viciously before the game. Willie Randolph was safe for at least the week, but some of his coaches would be fired shortly. Randolph and some of the coaches were about to be axed. There were even erroneous reports that Rick Peterson had been fired. The Mets scored two quick runs in the first thanks to a Jose Reyes walk and a Carlos Beltran homer and made it 4-1 after 2. But, the......

Yankees 13 Houston 0: It should have been a great day for the Yankees. An easy win completing a 5-1 road trip should provide plenty of reasons to smile. But all the joy was dashed in the sixth inning when Chien-Ming Wang started limping on the way to scoring the first run of his career. Wang has been diagnosed with a sprain on the top of the foot and will have a MRI tomorrow. Losing......

Last night, the Mets' game against the Texas Rangers was rained out due to the storm. However, the faithful--those Mets fans who stuck around while waiting to see if the game would be just be delayed--got a treat when some Rangers players decided to turn the tarp on the field at Shea Stadium into a wonderful Slip 'N Slide. Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler decided to slide first, followed by Josh Hamilton, Michael Young,......

Yankees 8 Houston 4: So far, a trip to Houston seems just like what the Yankees needed. Down 3-0 early, New York stormed back to win the game. Alex Rodriguez got the Yankees onto the board with a home run to right that got some assistance from an Astros’ fan who got his glove in the way. Jose Molina provided a huge double in the third that gave New York a 5-3 lead. ...

The Yankees and Mets are going to play their third dual-stadium doubleheader, June 27th. The teams will make up the game that was rained out May 16th at 2pm and then head over the Shea Stadium to play their regularly scheduled game at 8pm. This will be the third time the teams have done this. The first in 2000 saw the Yankees sweep both games 4-2 with Roger Clemens beaning Mike Piazza in the nightcap.......

Two and a half weeks ago, Willie Randolph appeared to be on the precipice of being fired. The Mets, especially general manager Omar Minaya stood by him, and Randolph lived another day. Now, another poor stretch of play has prompted perhaps the strongest rumors yet. If SI.com's Jon Heyman is correct, and his sources are usually reliable, Randolph -- and half his coaching staff -- could be gone by the end of the weekend. Unfortunately......