Yankees beat Mets in opener

Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte in action

Subway Series - Game 1

NY Yankees 4-3 NY Mets

(after 12 innings)

Jose Vizcaino was the hero as The Yankees drew first blood in the Subway Series, defeating their New York rivals 4-3 in a marathon thriller.

The match swung one way and another, needing 12 innings to finally separate the two teams in the longest World Series ever witnessed.

The winning run came at the bottom of the third extra innings when Vizcaino, the ninth-placed hitter, lined a single to left field off Mets relief pitcher Turk Wendell to spark wild celebrations in one half of the Yankees Stadium.

It was the Yankees' record 13th straight World Series win and marked the end of a tense struggle lasting four hours and 51 minutes.

The two teams now have to do it all again on Sunday evening for part two of the best-of-seven battle.

The first Subway Series for 44 years exploded into life in the sixth innings when the Yankees seized the initiative after the Mets were left stunned by an agonising misjudgement.

Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter both got home from in-form David Justice's two-base hit to put the home side 2-0 up at the bottom of the innings.

Moments earlier, Timo Perez thought he had notched a two-run homer for the Mets after smashing the ball towards the left field wall.

Nonchalant

It looked to be soaring over, but bounced back off the top and Perez was made to pay for his nonchalant trot around.

The Mets did not have to wait long for their reply, though.

Jay Payton and Benny Agbayani both got home at the top of the seventh to tie the scores at 2-2, then Edgardo "Fonzie" Alfonso produced some magic, allowing Pratt to score and put the Mets' noses in front.

Mets pitcher Al Leiter was having a dream game, notching seven strike-outs, including two in the seventh.

But it was Knoblauch who was the hero in normal time as he tied the scores in the bottom of the ninth with a sacrifice fly against Armando Benitez.

The Yankees had a glorious chance to win it at the end of the 10th, but with runners at both second and third, they were denied by a brilliant piece of double fielding by the Mets.

But it was to prove only a brief stay of execution.

Vizcaino led the glory charge, but Yankees pitcher Mike Stanton, who retired all six batters he faced, did as much as anyone to secure a famous victory.

After the match, Vizcaino - playing in his first World Series game - admitted: "My dream came true".