Stingy Sabathia, grand slam-hitting Teixeira lead Yanks to 4-0 victory over Santana and Mets

Sabathia, grand Teixeira lead Yanks past Mets 4-0

NEW YORK — CC Sabathia was dominant over eight innings in his rematch against Johan Santana, and Mark Teixeira hit a grand slam to help the New York Yankees beat the Mets 4-0 Sunday to secure a Subway Series split.

Sabathia, denied a shot at his first shutout of the season by a 22-minute rain delay in the eighth, allowed four hits. The Yankees won the final two games of the interleague series between crosstown rivals to even the season series at three games apiece.

The win, combined with Tampa Bay’s loss, moved the Yankees into sole possession of first place in the AL East for the first time since April 21.

The Mets lost their second straight after winning seven in a row on the road. They took two of three from the Yankees in Queens in May and won the opener in the Bronx on Friday night, 4-0.

The former Cy Young Award winners also matched up in the finale of the series at Citi Field with Santana giving up a run in 7 2-3 stellar innings to beat Sabathia, who was knocked around for six runs. But Santana faltered in the third inning Sunday, giving up Teixeira’s fifth career grand slam.

The Yankees loaded the bases with none out on three singles, two infield hits — including Nick Swisher’s perfect bunt that caused Santana (5-4) and second baseman Ruben Tejada to collide at first.

Sabathia (8-3) twice induced double plays and struck out six in winning his fourth straight start. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth to complete the four-hitter.

Before the game, “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” filmed a scene on the field. They weren’t here to help the Yankees’ banged-up lineup but to surprise a family with the promise to rebuild its house.

Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees’ lineup after missing a game because of a bruised heel and had an infield hit in the third and a double in the fifth.

The Yankees, who finished a nine-game homestand 6-3, head west to face the Arizona Diamondbacks and former manager Joe Torre and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Santana still has not found success at the new Yankee Stadium. He gave up nine runs over three innings in one start last year, his first at the ballpark. On Sunday, he allowed eight hits and four runs in six innings. Across the street at the old Yankee Stadium, he had a 2.05 ERA.

After a five-start stretch in which he gave up just three earned runs, Santana has allowed four runs in each of his past three outings.

Brett Gardner led off the third inning with a single. Jeter followed with a tapper to third that forced David Wright to make a rushed throw across his body, which pulled Ike Davis off first base. Jeter was given a hit because he appeared to have beaten the throw anyway.

Swisher then pushed a perfect bunt between first and the pitcher’s mound that Davis fielded before making a sideways flip toward the bag. Santana raced to cover and the ball hit off his glove as he collided with Tejada.

Teixeira hit a 1-1 pitch on a high arc that bounced off the top of the left-field wall and went deep into the stands for his first slam since August 2008 for the Angels at old Yankee Stadium.

Teixeira hit a two-run homer Saturday, making it the first time this season the struggling slugger has homered in back-to-back games.

NOTES: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, wearing a Pampers jersey and holding his young son, Baylen, in one arm, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Santana will host the Johan Santana Foundation’s All-Star Bowling Classic on Monday at Lucky Strike Lanes in Manhattan. … Mets manager Jerry Manuel said RHP John Maine (shoulder) was “not feeling well” and will be re-evaluated. Maine threw 88 pitches in a rehab start Friday for Triple-A Buffalo. Manuel would not specify what the problem was. … C Francisco Cervelli hit his third triple of the year for the Yankees.