By MIKE FITZPATRICK
Associated Press
First, the New York Mets saluted Mariano Rivera. Then they beat him in the bottom of the ninth inning.
David Wright and Lucas Duda hit RBI singles off Rivera, and the Mets rallied past the New York Yankees 2-1 on Tuesday night to foil baseball’s career saves leader only hours after honoring him at Citi Field.
“I think we surprised ourselves,” Wright said, “because when you get Mo coming in, it’s usually game over.”
Matt Harvey and Hiroki Kuroda locked up in an entertaining pitchers’ duel that went to the ninth with the Yankees leading 1-0 on Lyle Overbay’s run-scoring single. But all three batters to face Rivera (0-1) got hits, handing him the first blown save of his farewell season after he had converted 18 straight chances.
“Hopefully, it’s the last one,” Rivera said.
Daniel Murphy opened the ninth with a double just inside the left field line, and Wright tied it with a single to center. Wright reached second on Brett Gardner’s throwing error and got a great jump off the bag when Duda fisted a single to right-center.
Wright scored pretty easily and the normally quiet Duda egged his teammates on for a wild celebration that carried into the outfield. With their second consecutive 2-1 victory over the Yankees, the Mets swept the first two-game leg of the Subway Series and matched a season high with their third straight win.
It was the first time in his 19-year career that Rivera entered with a save opportunity and failed to get an out.
“It did happen quick,” he said.
The Yankees have lost three in a row for the first time this year. They were the only team in the majors that hadn’t had a three-game skid.
Scott Rice (3-3) tossed a scoreless inning and the Mets took the unbeaten Harvey off the hook for a loss for the third time this year.
The teams now head to Yankee Stadium for games today and Thursday.
Saluted by the Mets and the FDNY before the game, the 43-year-old Rivera, who plans to retire after the season, cracked a big smile as he threw out a ceremonial first pitch to Mets career saves leader John Franco following a 91-minute rain delay at the start.
Just before that, the Mets played a video tribute to Rivera that ended with the message, “Congratulations on a Hall of Fame career.”
Earlier, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon presented Rivera with a mounted fire hose nozzle, and New York City Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano gave the game’s greatest closer a mounted call box during a brief ceremony inside the ballpark.
“It has been great, everywhere I’ve been this year. And tonight everything was great — until the ninth,” said Rivera, who threw only nine pitches.
When it was Harvey’s turn to toe the rubber, he came out firing fastballs clocked at 96-98 mph. Harvey grew up in Connecticut rooting for the Yankees, but has quickly blossomed into one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers during his first full season with the Mets.
Showing no ill effects from his bruised calf, the 38-year-old Kuroda rebounded from a rough outing with a splendid one and demonstrated why he’s been the Yankees’ most dependable starter the past two seasons. He struck out seven and walked none, allowing only four singles in seven innings.
Kuroda needed to be stingy to stay with Harvey, who was on top of his game in his Subway Series debut. Harvey fanned 10 and walked none while yielding six hits in eight innings. Former Mets ace Dwight Gooden sat four rows behind home plate, updating Harvey’s K count on Twitter, as usual.
The Yankees broke through against Harvey in the sixth after right fielder Marlon Byrd bobbled Gardner’s leadoff single for an error that allowed the speedster to reach second.
Gardner advanced on a groundout and scored when Overbay lined a two-out single right past Harvey, who snapped his head in anger. The 24-year-old ace then struck out David Adams and yelled at himself repeatedly as he walked to the dugout.
“He’s an ultimate competitor. He’s an animal out there,” Wright said. “I wish we could score some more runs while he’s out there and get him some wins, because he deserves it.”
Moments later, Gardner raced back and extended his arm just in time to catch Murphy’s drive to deep left-center. Gardner’s right shoulder slammed into the fence but he held onto the ball, denying Murphy a key extra-base hit for the second consecutive night.
In the series opener, Gardner robbed Murphy of a home run with a leaping catch in left-center — also in the sixth inning with a runner on. Murphy got the last laugh, though, with a tiebreaking single in the eighth for a 2-1 Mets win.
Mets manager Terry Collins was ejected during an animated argument after Ruben Tejada was picked off second base to end the sixth. Second base umpire Adrian Johnson initially signaled safe, then changed his call — correctly, it appeared.
An angry Collins waved his arms about and kicked first base before finally returning to the dugout.
“It fired me up,” Harvey said. “I just had that gut feeling we were going to pull it out in the ninth.”
The start was delayed 91 minutes by steady showers, thinning a crowd of 31,877 that left full sections of seats nearly empty.
Harvey was hit behind his left elbow by Ichiro Suzuki’s liner in the seventh, but threw him out anyway. A trainer and two coaches came out to check on the Mets’ prized right-hander, who impatiently waved them off and worked a 1-2-3 inning.
PHILLIES 3, RED SOX 1
BOSTON — Cliff Lee pitched eight innings of four-hit ball and Jonathan Papelbon earned his first save at Fenway Park as a Red Sox opponent.
Michael Young and Domonic Brown homered for the Phillies, and Erik Kratz singled in the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning to snap Boston’s four-game winning streak.
Lee (6-2) allowed a first-inning run and then retired 22 of the next 23 batters to win his fourth consecutive decision. He struck out eight to match his season high and walked none.
Ryan Dempster (2-6) allowed two runs on six hits and three walks, striking out four in seven innings for Boston.
Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save. The Red Sox closer from 2005-11 — including their 2007 World Series title — he entered to a chorus of boos and without the theme song “Shipping up to Boston” he used for much of his career here.
RAYS 7, MARLINS 6
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Desmond Jennings drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Rays to a victory over the Marlins.
The Rays came back from an early 4-0 deficit and won their third in a row. Miami lost its seventh straight game.
Kelly Johnson opened the ninth with an infield single and took second on Evan Longoria’s single off Mike Dunn (1-1). With two outs, Jennings singled against Chad Qualls.
Fernando Rodney (2-2) got the win.
Jennings, Luke Scott and Yunel Escobar each had three of Tampa Bay’s 16 hits.
REDS 8, INDIANS 2
CINCINNATI — Xavier Paul singled home a pair of runs in the first inning, and the Reds completed a two-game home sweep of the Indians.
The intrastate rivals headed to Cleveland for two more games. The Indians lead the all-time series 42-41.
The Reds have won 14 of their past 17 games overall, leaving them with the second-best record in the majors at 33-19. They trail NL Central-leading St. Louis.
Cleveland has dropped five straight — matching its season high — and seven of eight.
Mat Latos (5-0) handled a slumping lineup, allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings. The Indians have been outscored 33-14 during their losing streak.
The Reds had 18 hits, one shy of their season high.
Paul’s two-run single put the Reds ahead 3-0 in the first against Zach McAllister (4-4).
BRAVES 7, BLUE JAYS 6, 10 INNINGS
TORONTO — Brian McCann hit two home runs, including a solo shot in the 10th inning that lifted the Braves over the Blue Jays 7-6.
McCann and rookie Evan Gattis hit back-to-back homers off Ramon Ortiz in the sixth, giving the Braves a 6-5 lead. The Blue Jays tied it on J.P. Arencibia’s RBI double in the seventh.
McCann connected for a leadoff drive in the 10th against Thad Weber (0-1) for his sixth home run. It was McCann’s first multihomer game of the season and the ninth of his career.
Cory Gearrin (2-1) pitched one inning for the win. Craig Kimbrel celebrated his 25th birthday by finishing for his 16th save in 19 chances.
Jordan Schafer also homered for the Braves.
ROCKIES 2, ASTROS 1
HOUSTON — Michael Cuddyer had three hits, including an RBI single in the ninth inning that gave the Colorado Rockies a win over the Astros.
Troy Tulowitzki doubled off Houston closer Jose Veras (0-4) to start the ninth and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cuddyer followed with his single, which sailed just out of reach of leaping third baseman Matt Dominguez.
Tulowitzki had an RBI single in the first. Chris Carter tied it in the fourth with an RBI grounder.
Matt Belisle (2-2) threw a perfect eighth for the win. Closer Rafael Betancourt struck out two in the ninth for his 11th save.
CARDINALS 4, ROYALS 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer against his former team, rookie Tyler Lyons made another dazzling start and the Cardinals beat Kansas City for the Royals’ 10th consecutive home defeat.
The only two hits that Lyons (2-0) allowed over seven innings were to Billy Butler — a two-out RBI double in the first inning and a bloop single in the seventh.
Trevor Rosenthal pitched the eighth inning in a driving rain for St. Louis, and Edward Mujica breezed through a perfect ninth for his 16th save of the season.
Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday added solo homers in the sixth off the Royals’ Ervin Santana (3-5) as the Cardinals (34-17) improved to a major league-best 20-9 on the road.
NATIONALS 9, ORIOLES 3
WASHINGTON — Adam LaRoche homered twice and drove in four runs, and the Nationals enjoyed a rare offensive outburst at the expense of the Orioles.
LaRoche, Tyler Moore and Roger Bernadina connected off Orioles rookie Kevin Gausman (0-2). LaRoche added a solo shot in the eighth off Troy Patton.
It added up to Washington’s highest-scoring performance since a 10-3 win over Miami on April 15.
Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 17th homer for the Orioles, and J.J. Hardy also went deep.
Nathan Karns, in his major league debut, gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in 4 1-3 innings.
Zach Duke (1-1) followed Karns with 1 2-3 innings of perfect relief.
PIRATES 1, TIGERS 0, 11 INNINGS
DETROIT — Neil Walker ended a lengthy pitching duel with a home run in the 11th inning, lifting the Pirates over the Tigers.
The game was scoreless until Walker — the brother-in-law of Tigers center fielder Don Kelly — homered off Jose Ortega (0-2) with one out in the top of the 11th. Former Tigers reliever Jason Grilli pitched the bottom half for his 21st save in 21 tries, striking out Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder in succession.
Mark Melanson (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless 10th inning for Pittsburgh.
Pirates starter Jeanmar Gomez and his Tigers counterpart Rick Porcello were dominant, putting up one of the best outings of their respective careers.
Gomez pitched seven scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Porcello went eight innings and struck out a career-high 11.
DODGERS 3, ANGELS 0
LOS ANGELES — Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched a two-hitter for his first complete game in the major leagues, Luis Cruz hit his first homer of the season and the Dodgers beat the Angels in the second game of the Freeway Series.
Ryu (6-2) struck out seven and walked none. The left-hander from South Korea retired 19 consecutive batters during one stretch. His six victories lead all rookie pitchers in the majors, while his 71 2-3 innings pitched lead all rookies this season.
Joe Blanton (1-8) gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked none.
PADRES 6, MARINERS 1
SEATTLE — Edinson Volquez pitched into the eighth inning and Jedd Gyorko and Alexi Amarista each homered, leading the Padres over the Mariners.
The teams split the two-game set in Seattle, but will be right back at it on Wednesday in San Diego for two more games.
Gyorko hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning off Seattle starter Brandon Maurer (2-7) and Amarista followed with a solo shot an inning later.
Seattle’s bats got very little done against Volquez (4-5), and its lineup lost its most potent punch after right fielder Michael Morse had to leave the game in the fifth inning with a right quadriceps strain.
ATHLETICS 6, GIANTS 3
OAKLAND, Calif. — Derek Norris hit a two-run homer in the second, Jarrod Parker pitched seven strong innings and the Athletics beat the Giants for their fifth straight victory.
Adam Rosales homered in the eighth for the A’s to snap an 0-for-24 funk since he connected against Kansas City on May 17.
Hunter Pence homered in the ninth and hit an RBI single in the first to give Mike Kickham a lead before he took the mound for his major league debut.
Parker (3-6) reached seven innings for the third straight start.
The 24-year-old Kickham (0-1) was tagged for four runs on four hits in 2 1-3 innings with three strikeouts and four walks as the Giants lost for the seventh time in their last eight road games.
TWINS 6, BREWERS 5, 14 INNINGS
MILWAUKEE — Pinch-hitter Eduardo Escobar hit a sacrifice fly with one out in the 14th inning, lifting the Twins to a victory over the Brewers.
Jean Segura went 6 for 7 — all singles — to raise his batting average to an NL-leading .365 but Milwaukee lost for the fourth straight time and 20th in 25 games.
Ryan Doumit, Josh Willingham and Aaron Hicks homered for the Twins, which have won three of four after dropping 10 straight.
Burke Badenhop (0-2) was the loser.
Ryan Pressly (2-0) pitched two perfet innings of relief to earn the victory.
