Mets beat Yankees to clinch rare series win

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Mets beat crosstown rivals the Yankees 3-1 on Sunday to win their interleague series for just the second time.

The Mets took the six-game series 4-2, marking just the second time since interleague play started in 1997 that the city's National League team overcame its American League counterpart.

"We're trying to get back over .500, so any win we get is a big win," Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters. "We don't take these games any more seriously than we take games in our own league."

The Mets also went 4-2 against the Yankees in 2004 with the Yankees leading the overall series 37-29.

Mets starter Oliver Perez (6-5) continued to enjoy pitching against the Yankees. He allowed just one run on three hits over seven impressive innings, striking out eight and walking one.

Perez, who retired the first 10 batters he faced, is now 5-1 in his six starts against the Yankees.

"If we can get Ollie to be consistent, which has been the dilemma for him his whole career, we will have an excellent pitcher, no question," Manuel said.

Perez felt it was one of his better games of the season.

"Today, that was the real Ollie," Perez said. "I have been very good against the Yankees before."

The Mets had 12 hits off three Yankee pitchers, including starter Darrell Rasner (4-6). He took the loss going five innings, allowing two runs on eight hits.

Luis Castillo had three hits and drove in a run, Endy Chavez also had three hits and scored a run and Carlos Delgado hit his 14th home run, two days after hitting two homers and driving in a Mets record nine runs.

"It seems like I'm doing some things right," Delgado said.

The Yankees (44-38) remained third in the AL East behind Tampa Bay and Boston, while the Mets (40-41) are third in the NL East, trailing Philadelphia and Florida.

(Writing by Roger Lajoie in Toronto; Editing by Ed Osmond)