George Steinbrenner can put his broom away, not to mention the smug look on his face. The Yankees can stop salivating over another Fall Classic sweep.

In Tuesday night's Game 3, the New York Mets spoiled the party before the Yankees spoiled yet another World Series.

This gritty 4-2 victory for the Mets at Shea Stadium was a very good thing for baseball.

The Yankees came in to Shea having won their last 14 World Series games. It was a streak that started with Game 3 of the 1996 World Series in Atlanta.

The Yankees' Orlando Hernandez was sharp, striking out 12, but lost for the first time in the postseason.(AP)

The Bombers had swept the Padres and Braves the last two years and after beating the Mets in the first two games of this series, they were threatening to turn the Fall Classic into another Yawnfest.

Thank goodness for small favors. Thank goodness for Benny Agbayani, who stroked a game-winning double in to the gap off Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in the bottom of the eighth.

Hallelujah, we have ourselves a World Series.

"I think baseball fans, and I'm one of them," said Mets manager Bobby Valentine, "have been watching the World Series for the last couple of years, and it hasn't seemed like it's been real big competition. I thought we were in those first two games, but you could only go so long saying they were close games. If we didn't get a victory tonight ... "

Valentine couldn't finish the sentence, but we'll finish it for him. The Subway Series would have turned into a Big Apple-sized bust.

But now there is baseball to talk about. There are things to talk about besides Roger Clemens and the bat that he may or may not have intended to throw at Mike Piazza.

There is a hotly contested series to talk about, which continues Wednesday night with Denny Neagle pitching for the Yanks against Bobby J. Jones.

Not only is the Yankees' World Series streak of invincibility history, but so is El Duque's unblemished playoff record.

The Cuban defector came in with an 8-0 playoff record in nine starts, and seemed primed to keep it alive the way he was baffling the Mets Tuesday.

El Duque struck out a career playoff high of 12. He struck out the side in the first two innings. He wiggled out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the sixth.

Still, he lost.

However, there would be no shame in defeat for El Duque. Not on a night he was battling flu-like symptoms.

But instead of acting sick, El Duque was making the Mets hitters look sick. They were flailing away at his deceptive sidearm deliveries.

"It doesn't get much better than that," said Torre. "He has the heart of a lion."

So do the Yankees, who played this game much like they've played their World Series victories. They got an RBI double from David Justice to tie it up at 1-1 and a go-ahead RBI triple from Paul O'Neill.

But the Yankees got something from the Mets they haven't got from previous World Series opponents. They got some resistance.

Todd Zeile's double in the sixth tied it and Agbayani's scorcher in the eighth provided just what the Mets needed on this night of desperation.

The Yankees were left in the oddest position of reflecting on a World Series loss.

"When you think about all the teams you had to beat and how tough it is to win four out of seven, much less four in a row every year, it's pretty incredible," said Torre. "It's a streak to be proud of because who you beat to get there."

These stone-cold Yankees hardly ever show any emotion win or lose, so it wasn't surprising to see every one of them downplay the end of the unprecedented streak.

"We can't be worried about what we've done the last few years," said Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. "The Mets are probably the best team we've played in the World Series so far."

The Mets are now in the fortunate position of being able to breathe again.

"With the 14-game winning streak they had and El Duque was 8-0, you're assuming that something had to happen," said veteran Mets reliever John Franco. "I think everybody inside is feeling good about themselves right now but we still have a long way to go."

The Yankees are still the champions, they still have that extra swagger the Mets are looking for. But the gap is shrinking fast.

"It's obviously disappointing," said Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez, "because they have more confidence now."

"We're in good shape," said Torre. You never want to lose two in a row and realize that momentum does swing."

It's been a long time since the Yankees have seen anybody grab their momentum in a World Series.