Of all the Mets’ starters, Rick Reed has pitched the best over the past few starts and was perhaps the best shot the Mets had to steal a game.

Reed pitched almost well enough last night to win, but this wasn’t horseshoes, and so the Mets fell 4-3 to the Yankees in Game 1 of the Subway Series and the Amazin’s losing streak reached seven … and counting.

Reed came into the game with two very good outings in his previous three starts, a fact somewhat obscured by a loss in one of them, a 2-1 decision to the Diamondbacks, and the fact that his ERA overall was 5.27. But Reed was working on a shutout against the Diamondbacks when Benny Agbayani dropped a ball on the warning track in center field that resulted in the two runs.

He also had a no-decision against the Brewers in which he allowed only one run over seven innings. So his ERA in his previous three starts going into last night was a more respectable 3.24.

Considering he was pitching against a great lineup, Reed did a good job, although he was knocked out of the game in the seventh with his team trailing 4-3.

Reed pitched 61/3 innings overall, allowing four runs on five hits.

The long ball was his nemesis last night. Reed gave up a solo home run to Jorge Posada in the second inning that matched Brian McRae’s in the top half of the inning to make it 1-1. Then, after the Mets had taken a 2-1 lead, he gave up a two-run shot to the sizzling Derek Jeter with two outs in the fifth. Both came with two outs, which has been a scenario haunting the Mets so far this year.