Think about it, in years past, it would be a Yankee home run going off a Met glove. They would have pounded a rookie like Joe Smith and acomeback like yesterday’s would easily be complete.

Just look at the Yankees tone and you can see how things are different.

“I had it and I lost it,” a flabbergasted Johnny Damon said to reporters. “It’s probably one of the worst feelings I’ve had playing – a chance to take two runs off the board and I couldn’t do it.”

And don’t forget Darrell Rasner, who broke his finger just two batters into the game, causing Joe Torre to burn his bullpen, with rookie Tyler Clippard making his first major league start tonight.

But the starters are dropping like flies with Phil Hughes and Jeff Karstens on the shelf.

“It’s weird stuff that’s happened and they’re all involving the pitcher,” Torre said to reporters. “You just have to fight your way through. You say this is getting ridiculous. It’s not ‘woe is me.’ I don’t want to say it’s comical because people are getting hurt. You have to just shrug your shoulders and move on.

“It’s freaky. It really is.”

But the Mets are just having a good time.

“It’s not going to dictate whether we go to the playoffs or the Yankees go to the playoffs, but it’s bragging rights,” said Billy Wagner, reported by Adam Rubin on his blog. ”It’s bragging rights to say, ‘Hey, we beat the Yankees.’ Or, ‘We split with them.’ That’s what makes it fun.”