• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Santana, Mets seek to take Subway Series from Yankees

Jun 28, 2008 - 1:07 PM Ny Yankees (43-37) at Ny Mets (39-40) 3:55 pm. EDT

FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Johan Santana faces the New York Yankees at home for the first time as the New York Mets look to take the season series from their cross-town rivals on Saturday.

It will be back to normal after the team's exchanged one-sided victories in a arduous day-night, two-stadium doubleheader on Friday. In the first game, Carlos Delgado set a franchise record with nine RBI as the Mets rolled to a 15-6 victory in the Bronx.

Bobby Abreu and the Yankees landed a counter punch at Shea in the night cap. Abreu homered and drove in three runs and Sidney Ponson threw six scoreless innings in a 9-0 victory.

"That's baseball. We were happy to win one out of two," Mets' shortstop Jose Reyes said.

The Mets will also be happy if Santana (7-6, 2.93 ERA) can beat the Yankees again and help them win the Subway Series for just the second time since interleague play began in 1997 (2004). Santana, who the Yankees pursued in the offseason, allowed four runs and seven hits in a season-high 7 2/3 innings of a 7-4 win in Yankee Stadium on May 17.

The two-time Cy Young Award is 4-0 with a 2.98 ERA in nine games against the Yankees. On Monday, Santana allowed a grand slam to fellow pitcher Felix Hernandez in a 5-2 loss to Seattle. It was the second straight loss for the former American League strikeout king, making him just 1-3 with a 1.87 ERA in his last five starts.

The Yankees counter with Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.04), who is seeking a fourth straight win. Pettitte, who has not lost since May 17, enters having thrown 13 straight scoreless innings. The lefthander allowed four hits in a 4-1 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. Pettitte is 7-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 17 game against the Mets.

The Mets are 3-1 against the Yankees this season.