After three brutal starts to begin his Yankees career, going 0-3 with a 7.36 ERA, Carlos Rodon, the $162 million left-hander set out on Wednesday to do better.

Rodon accomplished his goal and finally giving the Yankees the kind of start he craved on the way to a 3-1 win over the Mets in The Bronx.

In his first start since being booed by Yankees fans in Anaheim last week, Rodon walked off the mound after 6 innings of one-run ball to an ovation from the sellout crowd of 46,761.

Rodon out-pitched another left-hander whose season was delayed by injury, the Mets’ Jose Quintana, to secure a split of the Subway Series in this two-game set and the overall four-game season series.

The Yankees (54-48) manufactured just enough offense to make sure Rodon’s improved outing was not all for naught. Harrison Bader went 3-for-4 with two runs, helping to ensure the Yankees remained 2 games back of the Blue Jays for the final playoff spot.

“A really big outing for Rodon and for us,” manager Aaron Boone said.

The Mets (47-54) fell for the fourth time in their last six games.

“It’s been tough like this all year,” said Jeff McNeil. “We progress and then tonight the bats kind of fell asleep. We’ve just got to put it all together for a while.”