O’Neill Uses Glove to Save Yankees, 2-1

NEW YORK — Paul O’Neill couldn’t explain it. Derek Bell couldn’t believe it.

But the result was clear: O’Neill’s home run-saving grab reestablished the New York Yankees’ position as the best team in the city--at least for one night.

With Yankee superiority in question for the first time in years, O’Neill secured the victory Friday with a leaping grab in the eighth inning to back Orlando Hernandez in a 2-1 victory over the Mets.

“For me to explain a play like that, it happened so quickly it was like an infielder driving for the ball,” O’Neill said. “It just ended up in my glove. You ask how or why. It’s just reaction.”

After Melvin Mora tripled with one out in the eighth, Bell hit a towering drive into the wind in right field. O’Neill went back to the wall and timed his jump perfectly, reaching about two feet over the eight-foot wall to bring back a sure, game-tying home run.

“That was the game right there,” Yankee second baseman Jose Vizcaino said. “That was a home run. If not for that catch, we’d still be playing.”

Hernandez (8-6) pumped his fist on the mound and Bell rolled his eyes in disbelief when O’Neill took the ball out of his glove to show the umpire.

“Any other night, any other day it would have been way gone,” Bell said.

It was by far the most dramatic moment in a tight Subway Series opener dominated by Hernandez and Al Leiter (10-2) and witnessed by 54,132, the largest crowd at Shea Stadium in 28 years.

“A lot of the games haven’t lived up to what you guys wanted,” O’Neill said. “This one did.”

Hernandez gave up one run and five hits in eight innings and helped the Yankees win three in a row for the first time in two months and move a half-game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays.

In the first inning, Leiter, who had won three in a row over the Yankees, gave up four consecutive two-strike singles to Derek Jeter, O’Neill, Bernie Williams and Posada to fall behind, 2-0.

The All-Star left-hander then retired 19 of the next 20 batters and wasn’t threatened again. But the damage had been done.

The teams will be back at it early today, playing a day game at Shea before trekking across the Triboro Bridge for a night game at Yankee Stadium.