| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
NEW YORK (AP) -- After a wild eight innings left the Rangers and
Yankees tied at 9, a pair of potential double-play grounders -- one
turned and one not -- decided a back-and-forth game.
Tino Martinez hit a game-winning single after Texas failed to
turn a double play in the ninth, and New York won 10-9 Wednesday
night after blowing a three-run lead in the eighth.
|  | | Rangers catcher Bill Haselman attempts a late tag on Derek Jeter, who scored on Paul O'Neill's single in the first inning. |
"This was a very big win for us," manager Joe Torre said. "To
be able to pull it out was a big emotional lift. Hopefully we'll be
able to carry it over to tomorrow."
Luis Polonia led off the ninth with a single against Tim
Crabtree (2-7) and went to second on Jose Vizcaino's single. Jose
Canseco hit into a fielder's choice, beating out a double play when
Luis Alicea's throw pulled Frank Catalanotto off the bag at first.
"I thought for sure we were going to win that game," Alicea
said. "But you can't give them that many outs. They'll make you
pay."
Left-hander Mike Venafro came on, and Martinez grounded a single
just inside the first-base bag. The Yankees poured out of the
dugout in jubilation and the crowd that booed its team in the
eighth inning celebrated.
"We should have won it earlier," Martinez said. "It was good
to come back to win it for the bullpen and get them off the hook."
Mariano Rivera (7-3) escaped a shaky ninth for the win. With
runners on first and second, second baseman Vizcaino started a neat
double play, going to his knees to stop Gabe Kapler's grounder up
the middle. Rivera retired Pedro Valdes to get out of the inning.
|
Winning company
|
|
Even though he has only one win against five no-decisions in his last six starts, Roger Clemens
joined elite company when he made his 500th start earlier this month. Here are the highest winning percentages among pitchers with at least 500 starts: |
|
C. Mathewson
|
.665
|
373-188
|
|
John Clarkson
|
.650
|
327-176
|
|
Roger Clemens
|
.647
|
257-140
|
|
Grover Alexander
|
.642
|
373-208
|
|
Jim Palmer
|
.638
|
268-152
|
"Jose no question made the play of the night," Torre said. "I
thought it was a hit and he turned it into a double play. That was
huge."
Jorge Posada, who made a key error in Texas' five-run eighth,
went 3-for-4 with a game-tying homer in the eighth and five RBI.
"You have to stay positive and keep your head up," said
Posada, who struck out four times Tuesday. "Good things happen
when you stay positive and don't get down on yourself."
The Yankees didn't get down either, despite stranding 14 runners
in the first eight innings and blowing another late-inning lead.
"It's hard to blame the bullpen," Martinez said. "They've
carried us the last five years. This year, they've struggled a bit,
but we still have confidence in them."
The Yankees also kept up their dominance of the Rangers, winning
for the 41st time in 54 games since losing Game 1 of the 1996
Division Series. The Yankees swept Texas out of the playoffs the
past two seasons.
The Rangers likely won't be making a return trip to the
postseason. Their 68th loss in 115 games already surpasses last
year's total by one.
Texas gave up 17 hits and nine walks, and allowed 10 or more
runs for the 22nd time this season, breaking the franchise record
set in 1998.
"There's enough blame for all of us to go around," manager
Johnny Oates said. "There were some plays we didn't make, some
plays we didn't even get to. It's tough to win that way."
The Yankees' relievers cost Clemens his seventh straight win for
the second time in two starts. He left last Friday's game against
Anaheim with an 8-3 lead in the ninth, but the Angels tied it on Mo
Vaughn's three-run homer off Rivera.
Former Yankees outfielder Ricky Ledee erased a 7-4 lead in the
eighth with a three-run shot off Mike Stanton.
"Today, I let me team down and I let Roger down," Stanton
said. "There's really no excuse."
Errors by Jeff Nelson and Posada and a sacrifice by Royce
Clayton put runners on second and third. Alicea then singled
through a drawn-in infield to give Texas the 9-7 lead.
Kapler hit a two-run double and Bill Haselman and Rusty Greer
had solo homers off Clemens.
Paul O'Neill, who left the game with a sore right hip, had a
pair of RBI singles off Kenny Rogers. Posada added a sacrifice fly
and an RBI double.
Rogers gave up six runs and 11 hits in five-plus innings.
Game notes
The Rangers went 12 straight games without scoring in the
first inning before getting four Tuesday and two Wednesday. ...
O'Neill will miss Thursday's game. 3B Scott Brosius, who moved to
right field in the eighth inning, could play there again. ... Derek
Jeter walked for the 10th straight game, the second-longest streak
in the majors this season (Brian Giles, 11) and tied for the
longest by a Yankee since Jesse Barfield in 1990. ... Catalanotto
was picked off by Clemens in the first and Stanton in the seventh.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
NY Yankees Clubhouse
Klapisch: Resurging Clemens on fire
Knoblauch likely won't return to Yankees lineup till September
RECAPS
Boston 3
Anaheim 1
Cleveland 7
Oakland 5
Detroit 6
Seattle 5
NY Yankees 10
Texas 9
Toronto 9
Kansas City 8
Chi. White Sox 8
Baltimore 4
Minnesota 8
Tampa Bay 2
Atlanta 5
Colorado 2
San Francisco 5
Florida 0
Philadelphia 4
Cincinnati 3
Chicago Cubs 15
Houston 5
St. Louis 5
Pittsburgh 2
Milwaukee 8
Arizona 5
Los Angeles 5
Montreal 1
NY Mets 4
San Diego 1
|
