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Posada, Jeter back Clippard as Yankees top Mets

May 21, 2007 - 5:23 AM FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter continued to carry the struggling New York Yankees. Rookie Tyler Clippard did the rest.

Posada and Jeter each homered and Clippard pitched six solid innings as the Yankees avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the crosstown rival New York Mets with a 6-2 victory on Sunday.

Entering the game as the second- and third-leading hitters in the major leagues, Posada and Jeter combined for three more hits and three RBI on Sunday. Both veterans extended their respective hitting streaks to 15 games.

"He's (Posada) been so consistent for us," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "There's just a certain maturity about him. There's a lot of leadership qualities (he has that are) coming out and this is the time you need that. Guys that have been here and know how tough it is to go through something like this."

In the process, the Yankees (19-23) remained 10 1/2 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox (30-13) in the American League East, the largest deficit at any point since Torre took over the club in 1996.

But on Sunday night, the Yankees secured a much-needed win before beginning a three-game set with the Red Sox on Monday night

"I don't care how we do it," said Jeter, who is batting .365. "At this point, we are trying to get wins and it was good to get this win and we come right back (on Monday) against Boston.

"We needed this one and we needed to play well. Sometimes, you're going to play well and get beat, but we needed to play well and win."

However, heading into this series finale, things were looking grim for the Yankees and Torre, who spoke with owner George Steinbrenner before Saturday's game.

In Saturday's 10-7 loss to the Mets, Yankees starter Darrell Rasner left the game after the second batter in the first inning chopped a grounder back to the mound, breaking the rookie's finger.

Fellow rookie Jeff Karstens suffered a similar injury when Red Sox leadoff man Julio Lugo lined a ball back to the mound, breaking his leg on April 28.

The Yankees also have had injuries to starters Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina earlier in the season and highly touted rookie Philip Hughes, who is currently on the disabled list.

Thanks to the injury-ravaged rotation, the Yankees had to rely on Clippard (1-0), who became the 11th different pitcher and seventh rookie to make a start for them this campaign. He went 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts this season at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre of the International League and arrived at Shea Stadium well ahead any of his new teammates.

"He did great, right from the get-go it seemed like he had a little pep in his step," Jeter said. "He went out there and the way he was walking around the mound and everything, it looked like he's been out there for a long time."

"He looked very calm," Posada said. "He did a lot of things real well. He stayed within himself and he came out there and had a lot of fun. (He did) a lot of things well, curveball, changeup and (spotted) the fastball in and out."

Making his major league debut, the 22-year-old righthander worked in and out of trouble all night, allowing just one run and three hits - striking out six and walking three.

"It's the best night of my life for sure, no doubt about it," Clippard said.

Clippard began the game by striking out Jose Reyes but ran into trouble in the second. After David Wright crushed his 1-1 pitch for a solo homer, Shawn Green doubled to right field and, with two outs, Damion Easley was intentionally walked to get to Mets starter John Maine.

Clippard walked Maine and the bases were loaded for Reyes. But the feisty shortstop flied out to left field and the Mets could only muster two more baserunners off Clippard.

"I wanted to get ahead of him (Reyes) early," Clippard said. "I threw a good changeup to start him and left a couple more up after that. I just wanted to go after him. I didn't want to walk a run in because that's like the worst thing you could do as a pitcher.

"I wanted to be aggressive. I got behind him, but lucky enough, I was able to make a good pitch when I needed to."

Torre admitted that getting out of the jam in the second was the most important sequence of the game.

"Once he wiggled off the hook there in the second inning, which he sort of dug for himself walking the pitcher, he was terrific," Torre said. "He went after the big guys and that was pretty impressive."

Trailing, 1-0, the Yankees put up four runs in the fourth inning thanks to some wildness by Maine (5-2), who was handed his first loss Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

"John has been throwing the ball relatively well," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "Tonight, he obviously struggled with his control a little bit. What I see is mostly positive stuff."

Slumping Bobby Abreu walked to the lead off the frame and, after Robinson Cano grounded out, Doug Mientkiewicz was issued a free pass - setting up a two-run bloop single to right by Johnny Damon which fell just in front of a diving Green.

Jeter then capped the scoring in the inning with a two-run homer to make it 4-1. One inning later, Posada blasted a prodigious solo shot deep into the right field grandstand to make it a four-run lead.

Alex Rodriguez capped the scoring with a homer in the seventh Mets reliever Ambiorix Burgos. It was his league-leading 17th blast of the season and second in as many days.

Clippard came out after 95 pitches and was replaced by hard-throwing Scott Proctor, who pitched two scoreless innings.

Mariano Rivera allowed a solo homer to Easley in the ninth in a non-save situation.

Maine yielded five runs and eight hits in five innings, striking out three and walking four.

"I thought I threw OK," Maine said. "(I made) a couple of bad pitches here and there. I was battling trouble all night, that's the way it goes."

Wright blasted his third homer of the series for the Mets, who failed to complete their first sweep of the Yankees since July 2-4, 2004.

The Mets completed a 7-3 homestand, have won nine of their last 12 games and five consecutive series.

"That's great because we win the series," Reyes said. "Anytime we win the series, that's a good thing to do."