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Orlando magic
Hernandez, Yankees handcuff Braves in Game 1, 4-1
Posted: Sunday October 24, 1999 06:34 PM
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Gimme five: Ricky Ledee (left) and Chad Curtis celebrate Paul O'Neill's two-run single in the eighth. AP |
ATLANTA (AP) -- The New York Yankees play a waiting game, and it almost always turns into a winning game.
It did Saturday night.
The Yankees suddenly broke loose for four runs in the eighth inning against Greg Maddux and John Rocker and, behind Orlando Hernandez, beat the Atlanta Braves 4-1 Saturday night in Game 1 of the World Series.
On a chilly October night when it looked like one mistake might make the difference -- Chipper Jones homered on a bad fastball by Hernandez -- the Yankees once again struck with late lightning.
"It didn't surprise us when we got a little crack," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We've been a very patient ballclub."
The Braves managed just one hit in seven innings against Hernandez, and only one more against three Yankees relievers. And it appeared as though Maddux, making an emergency start because Tom Glavine got the flu, might make it stand up.
"I thought he was as good tonight as he's ever been," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Maddux.
And then, look out!
Shut down on three measly singles for seven innings, the Yankees took advantage of defensive replacement Brian Hunter's two errors at first base to rally for their ninth straight World Series victory.
Derek Jeter singled home the tying run to finish Maddux. Paul O'Neill, playing with a broken rib, followed with a two-run single off Rocker and pinch-hitter Jim Leyritz walked with the bases loaded and two outs.
"If we're in a close game, and we get an opportunity, we know we can win a game," said Darryl Strawberry, who drew a key walk in the eighth.
"It's just about confidence. We've got a very experienced ballclub and we don't panic and that's a very big key for us," he said.
It looked eerily similar to Game 1 last year, when the Yankees struck for seven runs in the seventh against Kevin Brown and some relievers to stop San Diego, sending New York on its way to a sweep.
But the Yankees have been doing this all along, winning for the 19th time in their last 22 playoff and Series games. This year, they've outscored opponents 22-5 from the seventh inning on in the postseason.
The Braves will try to get even Sunday night when Kevin Millwood starts against David Cone.
The Yankees won their sixth straight Series game on the road, including three in a row at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in taking the 1996 World Series.
Hernandez was almost untouchable, allowing only Jones' homer in the fourth inning. The MVP of the AL Championship Series struck out 10 in seven innings, fanning the side in the first and third innings, and remained certain the Yankees would win.
"I had enough respect and confidence in my team that we'd eventually come back and win," El Duque said through an interpreter. "I didn't think one run would win this game."
Showing off a dazzling assortment of pitches and deliveries, Hernandez looked nothing like the pitcher the Braves had roughed up for nine runs in 8 1-3 innings of interleague play.
"He continues to just make you shake your head," Torre said.
Hernandez improved to 3-0 in this postseason and 5-0 overall with a 1.02 ERA in six career starts in the postseason.
Brian Hunter's eighth-inning miscue left the bases loaded for Derek Jeter. AP |
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The other hit by Atlanta was a ninth-inning single by Bret Boone off Mariano Rivera, who earned the save by getting the last four outs.
Rivera escaped a jam when, after Boone singled with one out and Jones walked, he struck out Brian Jordan and got pinch-hitter Greg Myers to foul out.
Maddux fell to 10-10 lifetime in the postseason. The four-time Cy Young winner cruised into the eighth before 1998 World Series MVP Scott Brosius led off with his third straight single and Strawberry, batting for Hernandez, drew a walk.
Chuck Knoblauch followed with a bunt past Maddux that Hunter, subbing for Ryan Klekso, fumbled as he tried to throw, loading the bases.
"We got a break on the bunt and that set up the whole inning for us," O'Neill said.
The Yankees had been 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position when Jeter, after taking a close 0-2 pitch, singled home the tying run to finish Maddux.
"We are always very positive on the bench, always thinking we can get runs," Jeter said.
Rocker came on and O'Neill grounded a go-ahead single to right. The runners advanced on the play on Hunter's poor throw.
It was the first time a first baseman had made two errors in an inning of a Series game since Milwaukee's Frank Torre -- brother of Joe -- did it in 1958.
Hernandez had struck out five straight hitters before Jones hit a drive that wrapped around the right-field foul pole with one out in the fourth.
Yankees catcher Jorge Posada had set up low and away, but Hernandez left a 90 mph fastball right over the plate and Jones clocked it. As Jones began his home-run trot, Hernandez looked at Posada and pointed at his chest, admitting the bad pitch was his own mistake.
Jones, whose 45 home runs make him a prime NL MVP candidate, connected for the first time in an exactly a month. He had been limited to a .250 average and only two RBIs in this postseason before hitting his first World Series homer.
With a wind-chill factor in the low 30s, heaters were put in the dugouts at Turner Field for first time in the ballpark's three-year history. Knoblauch used one to warm his batting helmet.
Notes: Rivera has allowed just two earned runs in 44 postseason innings (0.41 ERA). ... Yankees backup infielder Luis Sojo traveled back home to Venezuela for the funeral of his father. He is expected to rejoin the team for Game 3 Tuesday night in New York. ... Jeter singled in the first, extending his postseason hitting streak to 14 games. ... Glavine is going to pitch Game 3.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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