Pelfrey outduels Hughes to tie series

The Mets evened the series with a 5-3 win on a strong pitching performance from Mike Pelfrey, while Phil Hughes was hit with his first loss of the year.

Jason Bay led the charge for the cross-town rivals with four hits and Yankees Nos. 4-8 hitters combined to go 10-for-21 but with no RBIs.

Best of all: They didn’t go quietly. Trailing 5-1 in the eighth, the Yanks loaded the bases with nobody out. They only plated two in the frame, but threatened again in the ninth with two men on base against closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Worst of all: Hughes got knocked around. He wasn’t completely ineffective, as shown by his seven strikeouts, but eight hits and three walks won’t suffice in a tough pitching matchup. Plus, the Mets didn’t miss their chances to score (except for the fifth).

Coming up: The series finale should be a good one. Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN with two southpaws: CC Sabathia and Johan Santana.