NEW YORK (AP) -- Just when the Mets started to think sweep, Jorge Posada and the New York Yankees woke up.

A day after routing the two-time World Series champs 12-2 in their first meeting this season, the Mets led 3-2 and 5-3. Yankees fans were quiet, maybe even worried.

Then the rout began.

	Posada (center) is greeted by Bernie Williams (51), among others, after hitting his tiebreaking homer.

Posada greeted Pat Mahomes with a tiebreaking three-run homer in a five-run fifth inning, and the Yankees beat the Mets 13-5 Saturday to even this year's Subway Series at a game apiece.

"Everyone's got caught up in this," Yankees manager Joe Torre said, aware these are more than ordinary games.

Andy Pettitte (6-2) was struggling -- "sky high" was the way Torre put it. He couldn't get three straight outs.

But his batters finally gave him a chance to relax.

With the Mets up 5-3, Wilson Delgado hit a leadoff single against Bobby Jones (1-3) in the fifth, Paul O'Neill had a two-out RBI double and Bernie Williams tied it with a single.

After a hit-and-run single by Tino Martinez -- shortstop Kurt Abbott almost came up with the ball because he moved toward the second-base bag -- Mets manager Bobby Valentine went to his bullpen for Mahomes. He went to a 3-2 count, then shook off catcher Todd Pratt's signal for a changeup and threw a fastball that didn't move in.

Posada lofted the ball into a wind blowing hard to right and the ball landed in the upper deck for an 8-5 Yankees' lead.

"It was a huge, huge lift for us," Torre said.

Posada, hitting .326 with 12 homers and 31 RBI, wasn't that impressed.

"I'm just part of a good lineup," he said, citing Williams, O'Neill and Martinez. "I'm just kind of the sleeper at the end."

He nearly laughed when he was mentioned in the same phrase as Mike Piazza, the Mets' All-Star catcher, whose grand slam sparked his team Friday night.

"I can't compare myself to Piazza," Posada said with typical understatement.

It was similar to two years ago, when Valentine brought in Mel Rojas to replace Al Leiter with a 4-3 lead in the seventh, and O'Neill hit a three-run homer that sent the Yankees on to an 8-4 win.

Pettitte, who needed 33 pitches to get through the first inning alone, then relaxed and got six straight outs before the bullpen relieved. He won his fourth straight start, allowing five runs, seven hits and four walks in seven innings.

"I finally wore myself down enough," said Pettitte, who threw 124 pitches in all.

Meanwhile, the Yankees teed off on the Mets' bullpen.

Derek Jeter homered in the sixth off Dennis Cook, and Shane Spencer hit a two-run double in the seventh and scored on a single by Scott Brosius. O'Neill singled home a run for his third RBI.

The Yankees, who scored eight of their first nine runs with two outs, finished with 17 hits.

Jones, who hasn't made it past the sixth inning all year, gave up seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

"I thought I had good stuff and battled as hard as I could," he said.

Before a raucous sellout of 55,839, Williams and Martinez hit consecutive RBI doubles in the first -- right fielder Derek Bell let Martinez's catchable fly fall behind him. But the Mets came back for a 3-2 lead on Jay Payton's solo homer in the second and Robin Ventura's two-run shot in the third.

O'Neill, moved from right field to designated hitter on a semi-day off, tied it with a homer in the bottom half, but the Mets took a 5-3 lead in the fifth when Todd Zeile hit an RBI double and scored on Payton's single.

Torre visited the mound to calm Pettitte -- because of cancer treatment, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre can't go out to the mound in sunlight.

Pettitte appeared to balk during a two-out intentional walk to Kurt Abbott, breaking his hands before stepping off the pitching rubber. Valentine argued unsuccessfully with plate umpire Marty Foster.

"It would have been good to get a sixth run," Valentine said, "maybe even rattle them."

After the walk, which loaded the bases, rookie Jason Tyner hit an inning-ending flyout. After that, the Mets fizzled.

"The Stadium was really exciting today," Valentine said. "Everyone was really into it."

While the Mets' seemed hyped up by the Subway Series, the Yankees -- as best they could -- tried to play it down. Winning three World Series titles in four years gives you some perspective.

"I don't care who it is or what situation it is," Posada, when asked how big his homer was. "If it was the playoffs or World Series, it would have meant more."

Game notes
Yankees 2B Chuck Knoblauch missed his fifth straight game because of a sore left forearm. He took batting practice Saturday, and may play Sunday. ... The Yankees passed 1 million in home attendance for the 54th time in 55 seasons (all but 1972). With a total of 1,030,537, they are averaging 38,168 and on pace to top 3 million for the second straight season. ... The Yankees lead the Mets 8-6 in interleague meetings. ... Mets ace Mike Hampton (6-5) pitches Sunday night against David Cone (1-6) in the series finale.