BASEBALL

METS PROMOTE ALOMAR JR., DEMOTE VARGAS

The mets purchased the contract of catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. from Triple-A new orleans yesterday and sent left-hander Jason Vargas to the minors.

Alomar was hitting .323 with four home runs and 29 RBIs in 38 games with new orleans.

“We wanted to get an extra guy here in case we could use him as a pinch hitter,” mets manager Willie Randolph said. “He’s a veteran presence, a veteran bat that can help us out and win a ballgame.”

The mets also shipped Vargas to new orleans. Vargas took the loss Tuesday, giving up nine runs and 11 hits over 3.1 innings in a spot start after left-hander oliver Perez was placed on the disabled list.

BASKETBALL

SONICS SIGN DURANT, GREEN

Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, the second and fifth overall choices in last week’s nbA draft, signed contracts with the Seattle SuperSonics yesterday.

The 6-foot-9-inch durant, just 18, is a forward who earned Associated Press college player of the year honors in his one season at Texas. He also won the Adolph Rupp Trophy, the Naismith Award and the Wooden Award.

He will make $3.476 million as a rookie and $3.736 million in the second year. Green will earn $2.548 million in his first year and $2.739 million in the following one. The SuperSonics have one-year options for the players’ third and fourth years.

HORSE RACING

AT 7, FUNNY CIDE RETURNS TO WINNER’S CIRCLE

Four years removed from making a run at a Triple Crown, Funny Cide returned to the winner’s circle at a track far removed from the majesty of Churchill downs.

The 2003 Kentucky derby and Preakness captured the 31st running of the $100,000 Wadsworth memorial Handicap at Finger lakes Gaming and Racetrack, driving past pace-setting Johnie bye night down the stretch and pulling away by three lengths at the finish.

The 7-year-old Funny Cide had not won in six straight outings, but the 1 1-8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up proved to his liking as a near record crowd of more than 12,000 cheered his every stride.