They could have certainly used a series win in a wild atmosphere to propel them into the next week.
But the Yankees didn't get that as Oliver Perez showed how maddening he can be for opponents rather than teammates and the Mets salvaged a Subway Series split with a 3-1 win Sunday. The Yankees will have to take that for now, as they prepare for a homestand that first brings Texas before moving into a more urgent state Thursday when the Red Sox come in for a four-game series.
This will be the perfect time for the Yankees to assert themselves and show they can legitimately chase the Red Sox in the East and the wild card.
This will be the time for them to either start forgetting their rough start early or pay the price for it later.
METS 3, YANKEES 1: Oliver Perez shut down the righty-heavy Yankees lineup and Darrell Rasner couldn't match the Mets' lefty despite a solid start. Manager Joe Girardi offered a rare lineup featuring six right-handed hitters, but the Yankees produced little more than Wilson Betemit's home run.
