We will be live blogging a little afternoon baseball today with both the Mets and Yankees in action during the day.

First the pitching matchups in Cincinnati where the Mets play the Reds.

(2008 stats)

Mets: Oliver Perez (10-7, 4-22 ERA)

Reds: Bronson Arroyo (15-11, 4.77 ERA)

You can also follow the game with the Post’s Gametracker here. Rivera makes quick work of the Orioles in the ninth, thanks to a nice snag by Teixeira at first.

And the Bombers have their first win of the season and it’s onto Kansas City, while the Mets head to Miami to take on the 3-0 Marlins.

FINAL – Yankees 11, Orioles 2

Pena, in his first major-league at-bat, gets his first major-league hit.

The ball went into the dugout and Damon pretended to throw it in the stands to a fan, but it was actually another ball — what a lovable scamp.

Swisher, who has been the most impressive of the newest Yankees, doubles Pena and Cano home with a double. Swisher now has five RBIs today.

Ransom was robbed of a double by Markakis in right field to end the inning. And it looks like Mariano Rivera is coming in to get some work.

Middle of ninth – Yankees 11, Orioles 2

Brian Bruney is now in for the Yankees, let’s see if he can bounce from a rough outing in the opener. And much-talked about prospect Ramiro Pena (more glove than bat) is now playing shortstop for the Yankees.

Bruney, who is Mariano Rivera’s set-up man, gets Adam Jones swinging on strikes, Markakis looking at strike three and Huff on a pop up to third base.

That’s more like it.

End of eighth – Yankees 9, Orioles 2

Here’s an interesting number: The Yankees were 14-2 last season after losing the first two games of a series. So, I guess we should have saw this one coming.

But the fact that they lost the first two games of a series 14 times is all you need to know about the team missing the playoffs last season.

Gardner hit a one-out double, but the Yankees couldn’t get him home with Melky Cabrera striking out to end the inning. Cabrera was pinch hitting for Jeter, but it doesn’t appear that Jeter is hurt or anything — just taking him out with the big lead.

Middle of eighth – Yankees 9, Orioles 2

Jose Veras is the new pitcher for the Yankees.

And he gets Moeller to fly out to center. Then he gets pinch hitter Robert Andino swinging. And then Roberts goes down on a lazy fly out to center.

The Bombers bullpen now has six straight scoreless innings going back to last night.

End of seventh – Yankees 9, Orioles 2

Damon leads off the seventh with a ground out to second base — he looks a little lost at the plate today. Teixeira follows that up with a ground out to first.

But after a Nady ground-rule double, Cano drills a two-run home run to left-center field to give the Yanks a 9-2 lead. Cano has looked real good in the first three games this season, probably better than he looked at any point last season.

Swisher grounds out to second to end the inning.

Middle of seventh – Yankees 9, Orioles 2

Burnett’s day is done. After getting Huff on a fly ball to left, Ty Wigginton had a hard single to center. So that’s all after 100 pitches for Burnett; Phil Coke is coming in to face a couple of lefties with a five-run lead.

Not great, but certainly a lot better than what CC Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang produced in their first two starts.

Coke freezes Scott and Pie with a breaking ball for strike outs to end the sixth inning.

End of sixth – Yankees 7, Orioles 2

With the infield in, Molina bloops one over the head of the second baseman Roberts to give the Yankees a 7-2 lead. But Jeter grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.

Middle of sixth – Yankees 7, Orioles 2

Cordero strikes out Sheffield looking. And Cordero strikes out Reyes looking. And Cordero strikes out Murphy swinging. That was filthy. The dream of a 162-0 season ends for the Amazin’s

In Baltimore, Cody Ransom walked to load the bases. Then Gardner hit a little squibber back to the pitcher Bass, who tried to go home (and he had plenty of time), but threw the ball away and the Yankees scored two runs to take a 6-2 lead.

FINAL — Reds 8, Mets 6

Yankees batting in sixth – Yankees 6, Orioles 2

Swisher continues his solid day with an RBI single that was in the same exact place as Cano’s base hit, to drive in Teixeira to give the Yanks a 4-2 lead.

Mets down to their last three outs with Sheffield, Reyes and Murphy coming up against Reds closer Francisco Cordero.

End of eighth – Reds 8, Mets 6

Yankees batting in sixth – Yankees 4, Orioles 2

Chris Dickerson leads off the Reds eighth with a single to right off of Bobby Parnell (nice job by Stokes). Parnell just misses catching a popped up bunt, but Brian Schneider, now in for Castro, was able to get the force at second base.

Teixeira leads off the sixth with a base hit to right and that’s all for Orioles starter Simon.

Southpaw Pedro Feliciano comes in to replace Parnell with lefty Laynce Nix up. Feliciano gets the job done striking out Nix and Votto.

Brian Bass, who replaced Simon, struck out Nady, but Cano singles down the left-field line.

End of eighth – Reds 8, Mets 6

Yankees batting in sixth – Yankees 3, Orioles 2

Fernando Tatis pinch hits for Church, but Rhodes strikes him out. The good news is that Reds manager Dusty Rhodes is taking out Arthur Rhodes — who retired all nine Mets batters he faced in the three-game series.

In comes ex-Met David Weathers for the Reds. And another pinch hitter, Jeremy Reed, pops out in foul territory. And Cora grounds out to second to end the inning with Gary Sheffield left on deck for now.

Burnett gets the O’s 1-2-3, striking out Markakis to end the inning — good to see someone on the Yankees is capable of getting him out.

Middle of eighth – Reds 8, Mets 6

End of fifth – Yankees 3, Orioles 2

Carl Pavano’s first start with the Indians didn’t go well — one-plus inning, 9 ER — against the Rangers.

Stokes gets through the seventh for the Mets by striking out Janish.

And the Yankees go down without a problem in the fifth — Molina, Jeter and Damon all go down without much of a fight.

End of seventh – Reds 8, Mets 6

Middle of fifth – Yankees 3, Orioles 2

With one out the Orioles’ Luke Scott homers to left center to make it 3-2 Yankees.

Felix Pie singles to center, but Jose Molina threw him out trying to steal second. Good thing to, because Chad Moeller then ripped a double to center. Burnett gets out of it (and this could’ve been much worse) by getting Izturis on a grounder to short.

In Cincinnati, Stokes is still in and Encarnacion just stole second with one out.

Reds batting in seventh – Reds 8, Mets 6

End of fourth – Yankees 3, Orioles 2

Delgado hit’s a sac fly center to cut the lead to 8-6 — one run at a time.

Rhodes gets Beltran swinging to end the seventh.

Middle of seventh – Reds 8, Mets 6

Middle of fourth – Yankees 3, Orioles 1

Reyes leads off the seventh with a single to center against reliever Jared Burton. The Reds bullpen is not very good, so don’t count the Mets out yet.

Swisher homers to right to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead — I think we all knew Alberto Simon wasn’t going to shut them down forever.

Reds second baseman Phillips let a Murphy pop up drop in front of him to try and turn a double play, but Murphy beat out the throw to first and then Reyes got gunned down at second — 4-3-6 — if you’re scoring at home. And after Wright singled down the third-base line to put runners on the corners, lefty Arthur Rhodes is coming in to face Delgado, who is the tying run.

Ransom and Gardner make out to end Yankees fourth inning.

Mets batting in seventh – Reds 8, Mets 5

Middle of fourth – Yankees 3, Orioles 1

Teixeira leads off the Yankees fourth with his first home run in pinstripes, although technically they are in the non-pinstriped road uniforms. Nady follows up that with a line-drive out to right field.

Brian Stokes is in for the Mets and gets through the sixth, while just allowing a Votto single.

Cano walks for the Yanks to put one on with one out.

End of sixth – Reds 8, Mets 5

Yankees batting in fourth – Orioles 1, Yankees 1

Roberts, who continues to destroy the Yankees, rips an RBI single to center.

Church doubles to left-center to open the Mets sixth inning.

Jones flies out to the warning track in right field for the Orioles, but Roberts steals second to put runners on second and third with two outs.

Castro flies out to right, Church tags to third. And Cora gets Church home with a lazy sac fly to right to cut the Reds lead to 8-5. Marlon Anderson pinch hits and grounds out back to Arroyo to end the inning.

Burnett walks Markakis to load the bases, but battles back from a 3-1 count to strike out Aubrey Huff.

Middle of sixth – Reds 8, Mets 5

End of third – Orioles 1, Yankees 0

Darren O’Day’s beans the first batter he faces with the Mets to load the bases with one out. O’Day gets Hanigan to pop up to shallow right field, but Janish drives in two with a single up the middle.

The Orioles get consecutive singles to put runners on first and third with nobody out against Burnett.

Arroyo fouls out to right to end the Reds four-run fifth inning.

End of fifth – Reds 8, Mets 4

Orioles batting in third – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

Taveras leads off the Reds fifth with a bunt single — he’s really fast and good at that.

A single by Brett Gardner is the first base runner of the game for either team in Baltimore

And Perez walks McDonald for two on and nobody out, it’s not so much that he walks so many guys, but the guys he is walking. Now he has two on with Votto, who homered his last time up, at the plate. And Votto rips a base hit up the middle and now the Reds have one run in and runners on the corners with nobody out.

Garnder steals second — his speed is the reason he is one the team. And Simon walks Molina to put two on for the Yankees, who have their first threat of the game.

Phillips hits a sac fly to center, where Beltran slipped after making the catch, not that he would have had a play at home any way.

Simon just gets Jeter at first base on a slow roller up the third-base line.

Perez walks Bruce and that’s the end of his day. After both pitcher’s first innings, who would have ever thought that Pelfrey would have ended up with the better outing.

Reds up in fifth – Reds 6, Mets 4

Middle of third – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

The Mets tie the score on a Murphy single, a bloop single by Wright down the right-field line and a bullet by Delgado that was deflected by the second baseman Phillips. The Reds got the force at second, but Murphy scored. Beltran then grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Burnett mowed down the O’s in the second 1-2-3 without a problem.

Middle of fifth – Reds 4, Mets 4

End of second – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

Well, this Simon fella looks pretty good — getting Xavier Nady, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher 1-2-3.

Middle of second – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

You have to love Keith Hernandez. Perez strikes out Janish on a questionable check swing and Hernandez’s reaction on the replay, “Oh, come on.” Not afraid to call it like it is. Perez gets Arroyo swinging to end the fourth.

End of fourth – Reds 4, Mets 3

Bruce pops out to first as Perez looks to bounce back from that rough third inning. But he then walks Encarnacion.

Damon makes a great catch on a Brian Roberts foul ball — reaching into the stands to grab it for the first out.

And Hanigan, who started all the trouble for Perez last inning, rips a single to left.

It only took three games, but a Yankees starter has a strike out — Burnett whiffs Adam Jones swinging. And Burnett follows that up with another strikeout of Nick Markakis — this time looking.

End of first – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

They really don’t like Mark Teixeira in Baltimore. And Teixeira hit’s a lazy fly ball to center field to end the Yankees first.

Middle of first – Yankees 0, Orioles 0

And we are under way in Baltimore … With both games now going on, I’ll try to make this as easy as possible for everyone following from work. Let’s be honest if you are home, you are watching these games.

Derek Jeter goes down swinging on a high fastball Simon, while Cora grounds out to second in Cincinnati. (thank you picture-in-picture) Oliver Perez also grounds out to second base. Jose Reyes strikes out on a foul tip to end the Mets fourth inning. That’s what you want your starter to do when they put up four runs for you and give you the lead.

Middle of fourth – Reds 4, Mets 3

The news of Angels rookie Nick Adenhart, 22, being killed in a hit-and-run early this morning kind of puts baseball in perspective.

Perez walks Hanigan. But rallies back from a 3-1 count to strike out shortstop Paul Janish. Arroyo predictably sacrifices Hanigan to second with a bunt. Perez walks Taveras, as images of bad Ollie makes Mets fans cringe.

And the Reds first hit, a rip single by McDonald up the middle, drives Hannigan home to cut the Mets lead to 3-1. And then Votto drills a three-run homer to right center to give the Reds a 4-3 lead. How did it all go so wrong so fast?

Phillips puts a nice charge in one, but it’s snared by Beltran in center to end the inning.

End of third – Reds 4, Mets 3

Reyes leads off with a single up the middle. But Reyes gets gunned down on a beautiful throw by Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan joins Darnell McDonald as the two Reds players I had never heard of before this afternoon.

Murphy then grounds out slowly to third. Wright walks and then Delgado bounces one over first baseman’s Joey Votto’s glove, so first and third with two outs and Beltran is up, same situation that we had in the first inning.

This time Arroyo gives Beltran something to hit and he promptly lines a single to left to drive in Wright. And Church goes the other way, down the line for a two-RBI double — his first two of the season. Sit down Gary Sheffield.

Middle of third – Mets 3, Reds 0

The Yankees are still about 35 minutes away from their first pitch in Baltimore, where the Bombers will go for their first win of the season.

The pitching matchup:

(2008 stats)

Yankees: A.J. Burnett (18-10, 4-07 ERA)

Reds: Alfredo Simon (0-0, 6.23 ERA)

If the Yankees lose today with that pitching matchup, it really might be time to be concerned. Has anyone else seen these sarcastic — Yankees season is over after two game stories — floating around? Like this one. Can’t say I am a fan.

Perez gets Phillips swinging on a fastball, after falling behind in the count 3-1. Perez strikes out the side taking down lefty Jay Bruce swinging with a slider (surprise, surprise) and Encarnacion, also swinging. Four straight whiffs for Ollie.

End of second – Mets 0, Reds 0

The good news for the Mets is that they got Arroyo to throw 27 pitches in the first inning. Arroyo dominated the Mets in both starts last season — two starts, 2-0, 16 IP, 3ER.

Arroyo gets Ramon Castro on a hot shot to short. Alex Cora’s first at-bat of the season ends with a lazy pop up to center field. And Perez goes down swinging — that was easy for Arroyo. The bottom of the Mets lineup today will not be striking fear into anyone’s heart.

Middle of second – Mets 0, Reds 0

Alright, big start for Oliver Perez here. Perez could throw eight innings of shutout ball or not make it through the second inning and I wouldn’t be surprised.

Perez gets speedster Willy Taveras to pop out to Alex Cora at second. And then Darnell McDonald to ground out to Wright at third.

And Perez gets Joey Votto swinging on a nasty slider down and away. Great start for Ollie.

End of first – Mets 0, Reds 0

Jose Reyes goes down looking on an Arroyo curveball. It’s easy to see why Mets fans love this guy Daniel Murphy, he battles Arroyo for nine pitches before singling in the hole between first and second.

David Wright is first-pitch swinging and look at these whacky Reds. On a chopper to third base the Reds try to turn a double play, instead they get nobody when second baseman Brandon Phillips muffs a bad throw from third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Carlos Delgado grounds into a force out — first and third two outs. Somehow Delgado almost got doubled up on an incredibly slow chopper.

Arroyo pitches around Carlos Beltran, who draws a walk to load the bases. But Ryan Church cannot get the job done, grounding into a force play at second.

Middle of first – Mets 0, Reds 0