Livan Hernandez darned near lost his head as he dodged pieces of Derek Jeter’s broken bat on a third-inning groundout that moved Brett Gardner to second. He probably should have regarded that as the highlight of the inning, since Mark Teixeira took him halfway up the bleachers in right center two batters later for a 3-2 lead.

Of course, the way the Yankees pitchers are walking batters tonight, that lead won’t stand for long. Brett Tomko just walked the sixth batter after Joba Chamberlain walked five in four innings. Mets have left six on already,

Ryan Church just gave the Mets the lead—See, I told ya—with a two-run double to center, with Church taking third when Robbie Cano’s throw home hit David Wright as he crossed the plate.

UPDATE: Gary Sheffield just hit a two-run homer, his sixth on the year and 505th of his career, putting him in sole possession of 24th place on the all-time list ahead of Eddie Murray. Score: 6-3 Mets in the fifth.

UPDATE: Interesting exchange between Hernandez and plate umpire Fielden Culbreth in the fifth after Derek Jeter’s homer tightened things at 6-4. Hernandez started jawing with Culbreth during Nick Swisher’s at-bat and Culbreth started toward the mound appearing ready to throw him out. Brian Schneider interceded at the plate, until Jerry Manuel came out, and then headed out to the mound along with David Wright to settle Hernandez down. But Hernandez was hot with anger. The matter calmed to let the inning proceed. But after Hernandez fielded Teixeira’s bouncer for the third out, he glared at Culberth on his way back to the dugout.

UPDATE: Hernandez is out, Jon Switzer in with men on first and second and the go-ahead run up in lefty Hideki Matsui. Didn’t quite work out as Matsui homered on Switzer’s2-0 pitch for a 7-6 lead. Mets got the run back in the seventh when pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis’ double play allowed Sheffield to cross the plate from third. Tie score 7-7.

UPDATE: Girardi’s bringing in Mariano Rivera in a tie game in the eighth, two out and none on. Just my opinion, but the Yankee beat guys are gonna have a field day with this one, no matter how it works out. My assessment? Dumb move.

Wright just hit an RBI double into the RCF gap for an 8-7 lead off Rivera. Think Girardi’s second-guessing himself right now?

UPDATE: Rodriguez is closing. Gardner popped to Santos. Jeter lined a single to center. Pinch-hitter Johnny Damon strikes out as Jeter steals second. Teixeira is walked intentionally, bringing up A-Rod vs. K-Rod. Why the matchup? A-Rod is .071 lifetime against Rodriguez.  But the count goes to 3-0 before the reliever finally throws a strike. But A-Rod pops to second, only to have Castillo drop it to allow two runs in. Yanks win 9-8