NEW YORK (AP) - Derek Jeter received warm ovations from the 40,133 at Citi Field when he jogged onto the field during warmups, as a video tribute to him was shown on the scoreboard after the national anthem and before each of his four at-bats.
There was little fanfare, though, when the Yankees captain was taken out of his final regular-season Subway Series game in the eighth inning.
Jeter watched the last four outs from the bench, pulled off the field during a double switch Thursday night as the Yankees held off the Mets 1-0.
“I just told him I’m going to make a double-switch. It’s where we are in the lineup; that’s how you do it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of the conversation on the mound with two outs in the eighth. “He understands.”
It’s not the first time Jeter had been removed in a double switch in his 133 games at a NL ballpark. He was taken out by Girardi in 2010 and he was lifted by Joe Torre in 2007, according to STATS.
David Robertson didn’t even know he was brought in to face David Wright in a double switch that lifted Jeter until he got Wright to ground out to Jeter’s replacement at shortstop, defensive whiz Brendan Ryan, with runners at the corners. Robertson pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.
Six weeks shy of his 40th birthday, Jeter left after an 0-for-4 night that dropped his batting average to .254.
Alfonso Soriano’s RBI double in the seventh broke up a scoreless duel at Citi Field between starting pitchers making their major league debuts. Rookie reliever Dellin Betances struck out six straight hitters as the Yankees earned a split of this year’s series between crosstown rivals with their second straight shutout.
“It’s impressive,” Wright said of Betances. “He had his way with us for sure.”
In a matchup of late-round picks in the 2010 draft, Yankees starter Chase Whitley (15th round) pitched two-hit ball for 4 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Mets starter Jacob deGrom (ninth round) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking two.
“It was unbelievable to watch that guy,” Whitley said of deGrom. “He pitched a heck of a game.”
In addition to a commanding performance on the mound, the 25-year-old deGrom helped Mets pitchers end an unusual record for futility. He lined a single to center field in the third inning to end the staff’s 0-for-64 start to the season. The Mets had long passed a century-old record established by the St. Louis Browns. They went hitless in 45 at-bats in 1914, according to information provided by the Mets from the Elias Sports Bureau.
Whitley also got a hit in his first at-bat - even before he allowed a hit.
“I was bragging about my hitting before the game,” Whitley said, “but then I gave one right back to that guy.”
Young pitchers dominated the series in both games at spacious Citi Field after two slugfests in the Bronx. Masahiro Tanaka pitched his first major league shutout Wednesday, a 4-0 win for the Yankees.
After Rafael Montero started his big league career with a fine six-inning performance against Tanaka, deGrom distinguished himself.
“It’s amazing. You can’t say enough good things about those two guys,” Wright said.
It’s been 12 years since a team had pitchers make their big league debuts in consecutive games. Milwaukee did it Sept. 2-3, 2002.
Jeter was honored by the Mets before the game. He received several subway-themed gifts, including a “Cake Boss” creation and a No. 2 mosaic made of subway tiles. The Mets Foundation gave Jeter a $22,222.22 donation to his Turn 2 Foundation.
But he did little at the plate. He lined into a double play in the third with runners on first and second. Then with two on in the eighth, he hit a grounder to shortstop Ruben Tejada, who threw home for a tag play at the plate to keep the score 1-0.
“There’s a time when the respect for the game takes over and you can’t do what you once did,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “The game deserves all you can give it, and if it’s not there you got to step aside. Some guys have a tough time doing it but the really great ones don’t.”
Soriano lined a double to left-center and catcher Brian McCann scored from first, sliding home as Tejada’s relay forced catcher Juan Centeno to leap for it. McCann reached when first baseman Lucas Duda failed to scoop Wright’s relay on a potential double-play grounder.
Up until then, the Yankees had little success against the shaggy-haired deGrom. The former college shortstop was initially called up to pitch out of the bullpen, but got the start in place of Dillon Gee, who pulled a lat muscle.
The 24-year-old Whitley was not even on the Yankees’ 40-man roster this winter, but with starters CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova all injured, he got the call after just 13 Triple-A starts over three seasons.
NOTES: Wright struck out three times. … Jeter finished with a .364 career regular-season average against the Mets with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 360 at-bats. … The Yankees placed OF Carlos Beltran (bone spur) on the 15-day DL. He felt a sharp pain in his right elbow taking practice swings Monday … Former Mets closer John Franco threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Mets C Travis D’Arnaud was placed on the 7-day concussion list.
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