MET NOTES

ST. LOUIS – Tomorrow the Mets and Yankees will open up the Subway Series. Willie Randolph would like to be opening something else.

“To be honest with you and tell you the truth, we’d rather not play these games really, to tell you the truth,” Randolph said yesterday. “But the fact that we have to play ’em, might as well have fun with it. Might as well win it and then move on.”

Randolph said he’s not in favor of the Subway Series “because they’re not in our league.”

“I prefer to play teams in my league and teams that we’re going to see,” Randolph said. “And for me, interleague play has been good for a while, but to me, it’s just run its course for me, that’s all.”

In the six games that the Mets and Yankees played last season, Randolph went 3-3 in his first season as Mets manager. The Mets won two out of three at Yankee Stadium and the Yanks took two of three at Shea.

“I’m really looking forward to it this year . . . it’s always nice when both teams are doing well,” Randolph said yesterday. “I think that’s really what makes a rivalry anyway, so it should be a lot of fun.”

Randolph played 13 years for the Yankees, then spent a year in their front office as assistant GM and 11 years as a coach in The Bronx.

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Brian Bannister is set to make his first rehab start for Norfolk today. Bannister has been on the DL since April 28 due to a strained right hamstring.

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Cliff Floyd started last night, even with lefty Mark Mulder on the mound. Floyd went 0-for-3 against Mulder and is hitting .083 (2-for-24) against southpaws this season. He capped an 0-for-4 night by grounding out against righty Jason Isringhausen in the ninth.

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Reliever Bartolome Fortunato is not going to have Tommy John surgery now and may get a second opinion . . . Before last night, the Mets had not lost 1-0 since Sept. 19, 2004, against the Pirates.