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Mariners vs. Yankees |
Mets vs. Cardinals
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Tuesday, October 10
No sizzle in these Bronx Bombers
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees look nothing like the Bronx
Bombers.
The two-time defending World Series champions once again
reverted to their anemic offensive ways, as New York got only six
hits in a 2-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners in the opener of the AL
Championship Series on Tuesday night.
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A history of Game 1's
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How the Yankees have fared in opening games and how they did overall in each postseason series dating back to 1995:
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Year
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Opp.
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Series
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Gm 1
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Overall
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1995
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Sea.
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Div.
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won
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lost
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1996
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Tex.
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Div.
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lost
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won
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Balt.
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ALCS
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won
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won
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|
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Atl.
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WS
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lost
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won
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1997
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Clev.
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Div.
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won
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lost
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1998
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Tex.
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Div.
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won
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won
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Clev.
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ALCS
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won
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won
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S.D.
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WS
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won
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won
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1999
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Tex.
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Div.
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won
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won
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Bos.
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ALCS
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won
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won
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Atl.
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WS
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won
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won
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2000
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Oak.
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Div.
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lost
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won
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Sea.
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ALCS
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lost
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--
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"When I put their names in the lineup, I still have confidence
they're going to get the job done," Yankees manager Joe Torre said
of his high-priced lineup. "When they don't hit, it surprises you,
even though we've been in a slump."
The Yankees, who averaged 5.4 runs per game in the regular
season, have only 19 in six playoff games. And six came in the
first inning of Sunday's Game 5 win over Oakland.
Other than that, the Yankees offense consists of little more
than strikeouts, weak grounders and harmless flyouts.
Shut down by 22-year-old Barry Zito in Game 4 against Oakland at
Yankee Stadium, New York did no better against 24-year-old Freddy
Garcia in the ALCS opener.
"I'm not making excuses for our guys, and I don't want to take
any credit from Garcia, but we haven't been hitting the ball in the
short run," Torre said. "It's frustrating."
They mounted few rallies and went 0-for-8 with runners in
scoring position to snuff. The Yankees are hitting just .235 in the
postseason with one home run.
Slumping Scott Brosius put a dent in two of the rallies. With
runners on first and second and no outs in the third, Brosius hit a
grounder up the middle that deflected off Garcia's glove to second
baseman Mark McLemore for a double play. Chuck Knoblauch grounded
out to end the inning.
Brosius grounded out to third to end the fifth inning with
runners on first and third. Brosius is 3-for-20 in the postseason.
He isn't the only Yankee in a slump. Derek Jeter 4-for-22,
Paul O'Neill 4-for-22, Bernie Williams 6-for-25, David
Justice 4-for-23, and Jorge Posada 4-for-19.
"I think at times I get overanxious and swing at bad pitches,"
Jeter said. "At this time of the season, pitchers make pitches
when they need to."
New York's best scoring chance came when Chuck Knoblauch led off
the sixth with a double and Jeter followed with a walk. With the
heart of the Yankees' order coming up, Seattle manager Lou Piniella
stuck with his young right-hander and Garcia made the decision pay
off.
He struck out the left-handed O'Neill and the switch-hitting
Williams, before getting Justice to fly to the warning track in
center to end the threat.
O'Neill didn't get another chance to hit, as Torre hit
Glenallen Hill for him in the eighth inning against left-hander
Arthur Rhodes.
"Paul's been struggling a little bit. I felt it was a chance to
pop one," Torre said. "It's not something I like doing and may
not do again. ... He understands the situation."
The Yankees got two men on in the ninth against closer Kazuhiro
Sasaki, but Posada and Luis Sojo, who had two hits, flied out to
end the game.
"When you slump as a team, it doesn't matter how many hits you
get," Sojo said. "The last time I came up with two men on, I
didn't come through either."
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