JULY 9, 1999 Mets 5 Yankees 2

IN THE opener of the three-game set, it was Leiter and Clemens again and the result was the same. Leiter gave the Mets eight innings of two-run, four-hit pitching and Clemens surrendered five runs and nine hits in six frames.

The big blow for the Mets, who had no subplots distracting them, was Mike Piazza taking Clemens deep for a three-run homer in the sixth that broke a 2-2 tie.