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Yanks Top Mets 5-3 in Subway Series Sweep

Posted on: Sunday, 29 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada homered in a rapid-fire third inning, leading Jeff Weaver and the New York Yankees over the Mets 5-3 Sunday night for a season sweep of the Subway Series.

The largest crowd of the season at Yankee Stadium - 55,444 - saw the Yankees finish 6-0 against their city rivals. The Yankees tied their longest winning streak of the year at seven and reached the halfway mark at 51-30.

Mets manager Art Howe was ejected for the first time this season as his team lost its fifth straight and ninth in 10 games.

Yankees manager Joe Torre, meanwhile, watched Weaver deliver the kind of performance they've both been waiting for.

Bounced in and out of the rotation lately, Weaver (4-6) had been 0-4 in six starts since his last victory on May 15. Upset after being tagged for a three-run homer by Jeromy Burnitz in the first inning, Weaver quickly regained his composure and at one point retired 14 batters in a row.

Al Leiter (8-5) gave up three homers in an inning for the first time in his career. They came in a span of only 10 pitches and accounted for the Yankees' runs.

After Alfonso Soriano walked with one out and Derek Jeter singled, Giambi hit a high, long drive to left-center. With two outs, Matsui lined a shot into the right-field seats and Posada followed with a homer to left.

The inning was set up when Soriano hustled into third base on Jeter's single, barely beating the throw from center fielder Timo Perez. Howe, upset by umpire Tim Timmons' strike zone Saturday night, didn't like Timmons' call at third, either, and was tossed.

Giambi's homer was his 22nd and second in two games. Matsui hit a grand slam and reached base in nine of 10 plate appearances during Saturday's two-park doubleheader sweep.

Weaver pitched three-hit ball for seven innings. When Burnitz homered, the demonstrative pitcher shook both of his hands in frustration and shouted in disgust. He was booed leaving the mound when the inning ended.

But in the seventh, the Yankees saw some positive emotion from Weaver. Cliff Floyd led off with a double, the Mets' first hit since Burnitz homered, and Burnitz popped out.

Weaver hopped off the mound when he struck out Ty Wigginton with a sidearm breaking ball, then slammed his right hand into his glove when he retired Jason Phillips on a fly ball to preserve the two-run lead.

Chris Hammond worked a scoreless eighth and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances.

The Yankees became the first team to sweep a season series in the New York-New York matchup, outscoring the Mets 39-19. The Yankees, of course, beat the Mets in the most meaningful Subway Series of all, the five-game World Series in 2000.

Notes:@ Mets LHP John Franco tweaked his right foot when he stepped awkwardly on first base while covering the bag in the seventh inning. After a few warmups, he stayed in the game. ... Howe, Burnitz and Mets RHP David Weathers were ejected in the six-game Subway Series. No Yankees were thrown out. ... Leiter walked six in six innings. He's walked exactly six in four of his last eight starts. ... The Yankees hit consecutive homers for the second straight game. Soriano and Jeter led off Saturday night's game at Shea Stadium with shots.

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