By GEORGE A. KING III

Last updated: 9:24 am
June 30, 2008
Posted: 3:15 am
June 30, 2008

Manager Joe Girardi and his staff decided the best chance to dent Oliver Perez was to use as many right-handed hitters as possible against the Mets' lefty.

After watching Perez carve them up at Yankee Stadium in May, looking at what lefties were hitting against him and knowing he always pitches well against the Yankees, Girardi sat Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano and Bobby Abreu yesterday at Shea Stadium.

In theory, it made sense. And then the usual happened.

Perez, whose inconsistency has driven the Mets nuts all year, dominated the Yankees in a 3-1 victory by allowing a run, three hits and fanning eight in seven innings.

"He was very nasty," said Johnny Damon, the lone lefty swinger in the lineup. "You can't pick up his slider. I don't know how he gives up too many hits to lefties."

Damon went 1-for-3 against Perez, who is limiting left-handed hitters to a .173 (14-for-81) average.

Perez, who gave up a homer to switch-hitting Wilson Betemit in the seventh, faced only one real challenge and met it by fanning Alex Rodriguez and getting Jorge Posada on a grounder to the right side with Derek Jeter on second via a single and wild pitch.

The win raised Perez's lifetime mark against the Yankees to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.61. As a Met, Perez is 4-0 against the Yankees.

"He is not a good matchup for us," said general manager Brian Cashman, who endorsed Girardi's decision to stack the lineup with right-handed bats.

If Perez, who is 6-5 overall and has an 4.98 ERA, pitched as well against the other 28 teams as he does against the Yankees, the Mets would be in better shape and Perez would be expecting Johan Santana money this coming winter when he will be a free agent.