NEW YORK -- For Mark Teixeira, the home run was nice. Getting hit by a pitch was annoying, and being accused of stealing signs was downright amusing.

Teixeira hit a three-run home run in the second inning, nearly sparked a benches-clearing incident in the fifth and was accused of stealing signs in the seventh as the New York Yankees recorded a 9-5 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

"Tonight was one of those nights where everybody was having a good time," Teixeira said. "We were having some laughs. We got a little fired up for a little bit, but it was a good win."

Teixeira gave the Yankees the lead for good when he homered off Steven Matz (8-8) with two outs in the second. After giving the Yankees a 6-3 lead, the next two instances he reached base became even more eventful than his 10th home run.

In the fifth, Teixeira took exception to being hit in the left shin and immediately began yelling and glaring at Matz. Teixeira tossed his shin guard in the air and walked toward first base while being restrained by Yankees third baseman Chase Headley and Mets catcher Rene Rivera.

"He keeps his cool for the most part but when he gets upset he gets really upset," Headley said. "I don't blame him. I don't know what the intent was but you hit a three-run home run and the next pitch comes in two feet inside, you're not going to be happy about it."

Both benches emptied but never got past the foul lines and relievers from both teams stood in front of the warning track in case things escalated further. Things quickly quieted down as Teixeira took first but he slid hard into second baseman Neil Walker on Headley's inning-ending double play.

Both teams were warned and Mets manager Terry Collins could be seen on television yelling a profanity from the dugout.

"We know Steven Matz didn't throw at anybody," Collins said. "By the way if his command was good, we wouldn't have been behind 6-3. I thought Mark overreacted. That's just my take on it."

Two innings later, Teixeira reached base for the fourth time with walk against Hansel Robles. He reached third base later in the inning and when Collins made a pitching change, Robles began yelling at Teixeira and appeared to accuse the first baseman of switching signs.

"Instead of getting mad, I'm going to have fun with it and I did," Teixeira said.

"I got a little upset" Robles said through an interpreter. "That's not the way you play baseball. You have to play baseball like a man."

Getting annoyed at Teixeira's reaction to being hit and Robles yelling at the first baseman were hardly the struggling Mets' most significant problem in their 14th loss in 22 games.

New York inserted Yoenis Cespedes into the starting lineup after he sat for three games with a strained right quad. The plan was to start him five games as the designated hitter in New York and Detroit but after the game, the Mets said Cespedes will be placed on the disabled list Thursday.

Cespedes was 1-for-5 and re-injured the quad on his penultimate swing of the ninth.

Headley and Didi Gregorius drove in two runs apiece for the Yankees, who won for the second time in seven games. Starlin Castro and Rob Refsnyder also drove in runs for the Yankees.

After Yankees right-hander Chad Green labored through 3 2/3 innings, Luis Severino (1-6) allowed an unearned run in 4 1/3 innings, highlighting his appearance by escaping a major jam in the seventh.

Curtis Granderson hit a leadoff home run while James Loney and Rivera added RBI singles for the Mets (55-52), who bounced into three double plays in the first three innings and lost for the seventh time in 10 games. Walker hit a solo home run in the ninth for the Mets.

New York's biggest chance in the late innings when Headley misplayed Cespedes' one-hopper to third base for an error that prevented a double play and loaded the bases. Severino fanned Jay Bruce for the first out, allowed a run to score on Loney's grounder to first base and struck out Michael Conforto with runners at second and third.

After Severino escaped, the Yankees added three runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Refsnyder, an infield single by Castro and a bases-loaded walk by Gregorius.

Matz allowed six runs and six hits in six innings.

NOTES: Mets manager Terry Collins said he had no problems with OF Yoenis Cespedes playing golf after not starting three straight games with a quadriceps injury. "Was he running on the course or was he walking? Did he ride a card or was he jogging?" Collins said. "I don't have any problem with it." ... Yankees C/DH Gary Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre and will likely be the DH for the next few days because his left thumb is still sore. ... Mets GM Sandy Alderson said RHP Zack Wheeler (Tommy John surgery) will start a rehab assignment with Class A St. Lucie Saturday. ... Alderson also said 1B Lucas Duda (back) had a setback and was prescribed 30 days of rest by Dr. Robert Watkins. ... The Yankees announced LHP Jacob Lindgren will undergo Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Friday.