Frank Francisco

Major League Baseball is beginning to sound like a second-grade playground -- this week alone we've learned that Davey Johnson is a cat, Joe Maddon is a "weird wussy" and now the New York Yankees are "chickens."

Mets reliever Frank Francisco told the New York Post he was excited to face the Yankees in a three-game series starting tonight at Citi Field.

"I can't wait to face those chickens," he said. "I want to strike out the side against them. I've done it before."

Before Francisco could elaborate why he believed the Yankees to be poultry, "I think I've said too much already," he told Mike Puma of the Post.

Puma went on to check out the former Ranger and Blue Jay's claim to have struck out the side against the Yankees -- and he found it. On May 21, 2004, Francisco, then with Texas, struck out Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi in the seventh inning of a Rangers victory at old Yankee Stadium. It was Francisco's third-ever game.

Francisco, 32, has appeared in 25 games against the Yankees and has a 1-1 record and 3.29 ERA. In 27 1/3 innings against the Yankees, he's allowed 24 hits, 11 runs (10 earned), walking 10 and striking out 24.

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