Yankees Relive Series Memories

It was the Subway Series all over again: Luis Sojo got a key hit, and Mike Piazza was in the middle of a crazy play.

More important, the Yankees ended up on top again Friday night at Shea Stadium, winning, 5-4, in their first matchup with the Mets since October.

“We are sort of bit by the bizarre incident,” said Piazza, who, as the potential tying run, was thrown out at home on a wild play in the eighth inning. “It’s just the way the series has gone.”

Shane Spencer homered, drove in two runs and made three difficult catches in right field for the Yankees, who won despite losing starter Andy Pettitte to an injured groin in the fifth inning that put him on the 15-day disabled list.

The Yankees lead the regular-season series, 12-7, and have won nine of their last 11 against the Mets, including the 2000 World Series.

The Yankees got their break this time in the eighth inning with a 5-3 lead. Todd Zeile hit a run-scoring double with runners on first and second.

Piazza initially stopped at third, but tried to score when Spencer’s throw went past an uncovered second base.

“As soon as I threw it, I said, ‘Oh boy. Here comes a scolding,’ ” Spencer said.

When Zeile saw the Yankees’ infielders lined up for a relay to the plate and the ball going toward second, he started yelling and waving frantically.

“I could clearly see that no one was near the baseball and no one was going to be near the baseball for quite a while,” he said. “From the time he released it I was yelling, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ ”

Third baseman Scott Brosius retrieved the ball near shortstop and threw home to easily get Piazza. “It was kind of a broken play,” Brosius said. “As soon as I saw the ball head that way I went after it. I saw [Zeile] waving him home, got the ball and threw.”

After waiting until the ninth inning to get to Al Leiter (3-5) in last October’s Game 5 clincher, the Yankees scored three in the first against the left-hander.

Chuck Knoblauch, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams opened the game with consecutive singles to make it 1-0. After Spencer’s run-scoring groundout, Sojo hit a two-out RBI single up the middle.

“I just put them in the right place,” Sojo said.

The ball was hit a bit harder--but in almost the same spot--as Sojo’s tiebreaking single off Leiter in the ninth inning of last year’s Game 5.