Yankees Lose
The Twins finally beat New York, defeating the Yankees 3-1 in Tuesday's AL playoff opener.
Despite their troubles, the Yankees threatened to pull off yet another memorable ninth-inning comeback. But a spectacular catch by Shannon Stewart helped Eddie Guardado escape allowing only one run, and the Twins beat New York for the first time in 14 tries.
Twins starter Johan Santana left after four innings because of a leg cramp, but Rick Reed, J.C. Romero, LaTroy Hawkins and Guardado cobbled together a nine-hitter that gave the AL Central champions a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
New York had rolled over the Twins during the past two seasons, going 13-0 and outscoring them 90-36. But instead, Hawkins got the win and Guardado hung on for the save.
Eliminated in the first round by Anaheim last year after winning the opener, New York has lost four straight postseason games for the first time since the 1981 World Series against the Dodgers, not exactly what owner George Steinbrenner was looking for.
In the first early afternoon postseason game at Yankee Stadium since 1981, the Twins showed no fear. Stewart made a leaping catch at the left-field wall to rob Hideki Matsui on an extra-base hit in the ninth.
Bernie Williams, who made the day's key misplay, had singled leading off the inning, and Aaron Boone followed Matsui's drive with a one-out double. But Ruben Sierra flied out and, after Alfonso Soriano beat out a run-scoring infield single, Nick Johnson grounded out.
New York repeatedly got tripped up before the sellout crowd of 56,292. In a sign of just how different playoff baseball is, New York played the infield in with a runner at third base in the first inning, escaping the jam when Mike Mussina induced a pair of groundouts.
Mussina had been 20-2 against the Twins but fell behind in the third inning when speedy Cristian Guzman reached on a slow roller past the mound, slid into third just under Boone's tag on Stewart's single to left and scored on Luis Rivas' sacrifice fly.
Santana, who led the majors in winning percentage with a 12-3 record, allowed runners in each of the first four innings but didn't let any get past second.
And in the day's comic highlight, Williams hit a drive to the right-center gap in the fourth and tripped rounding first base, falling on his belly as he wound up with only a single.
Williams was the central figure in sixth, when the Twins padded their lead with a pair of runs.
With Matthew LeCroy on first following a leadoff single, Hunter lined a pitch into center field with one out. In the past, Williams usually would have scooped up the ball, but now 35 and slowed following knee surgery last spring, he allowed the ball to roll by him to the wall.
LeCroy scored from first and Hunter sped to third with a triple. When the relay throw from Soriano went high over third for an error, Hunter wound up coming home on what many kids refer to as a Little League home run.
Unwilling to tolerate failure, many Yankees' fans in the crowd booed, a reaction that cropped up again in the eighth when Jeff Nelson relieved Mussina and walked his first - and only - hitter.
While the Yankees bumbled, the Twins executed the little things that often turn games played under postseason pressure. Guzman, their shortstop, went down to one knee to throw out Juan Rivera on a bouncer near second base in the third, then ran in to throw out Rivera on a slow roller in the fifth.
New York constantly has shuffled players all season - seven of the players on Tuesday's roster weren't with the team on opening day - to try to find the right combination for its 27th Series title. But the Yankees fizzled when they had a chance to get back into the game in the seventh.
Romero walked Matsui leading off and Boone singled off Hawkins. Sierra batted for Rivera and hit into a forceout that left runners at the corners, and Hawkins then overpowered Soriano and Johnson, striking out both.
The Yankees haven't been as effective in day games this year, only going 35-26 in them as compared to 66-35 at night.
Pettitte will face Brad Radke on Thursday:
Brad Radke
Like most of the rotation, Radke struggled in the first half. He admitted not having the feel of his trademark changeup pitch and it showed. He went 5-9 with a 5.49 ERA with 20 homers and for him, an unusual 20 walks allowed. A sign of his early-season troubles came when he was hit hard in an 11-4 loss to New York on April 18 at the Metrodome. Radke gave up seven runs on nine hits, including three home runs, over five innings. It's been a significantly different story in 14 starts since the All-Star break, where he went 9-1. In September, he was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA.
Andy Pettitte
Pettitte keeps his remarkable streak alive, pitching Game 2 of the Division Series for the Yankees for a ninth consecutive postseason. Pettitte has been the Yankees' hottest pitcher, winning 16 of his last 18 decisions dating back to early June. Pettitte is 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA in the Division Series, but he is 3-1 in his last five ALDS starts. Pettitte's 10 career postseason wins rank him fourth all-time.
Worldseries.com
Despite their troubles, the Yankees threatened to pull off yet another memorable ninth-inning comeback. But a spectacular catch by Shannon Stewart helped Eddie Guardado escape allowing only one run, and the Twins beat New York for the first time in 14 tries.
Twins starter Johan Santana left after four innings because of a leg cramp, but Rick Reed, J.C. Romero, LaTroy Hawkins and Guardado cobbled together a nine-hitter that gave the AL Central champions a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
New York had rolled over the Twins during the past two seasons, going 13-0 and outscoring them 90-36. But instead, Hawkins got the win and Guardado hung on for the save.
Eliminated in the first round by Anaheim last year after winning the opener, New York has lost four straight postseason games for the first time since the 1981 World Series against the Dodgers, not exactly what owner George Steinbrenner was looking for.
In the first early afternoon postseason game at Yankee Stadium since 1981, the Twins showed no fear. Stewart made a leaping catch at the left-field wall to rob Hideki Matsui on an extra-base hit in the ninth.
Bernie Williams, who made the day's key misplay, had singled leading off the inning, and Aaron Boone followed Matsui's drive with a one-out double. But Ruben Sierra flied out and, after Alfonso Soriano beat out a run-scoring infield single, Nick Johnson grounded out.
New York repeatedly got tripped up before the sellout crowd of 56,292. In a sign of just how different playoff baseball is, New York played the infield in with a runner at third base in the first inning, escaping the jam when Mike Mussina induced a pair of groundouts.
Mussina had been 20-2 against the Twins but fell behind in the third inning when speedy Cristian Guzman reached on a slow roller past the mound, slid into third just under Boone's tag on Stewart's single to left and scored on Luis Rivas' sacrifice fly.
Santana, who led the majors in winning percentage with a 12-3 record, allowed runners in each of the first four innings but didn't let any get past second.
And in the day's comic highlight, Williams hit a drive to the right-center gap in the fourth and tripped rounding first base, falling on his belly as he wound up with only a single.
Williams was the central figure in sixth, when the Twins padded their lead with a pair of runs.
With Matthew LeCroy on first following a leadoff single, Hunter lined a pitch into center field with one out. In the past, Williams usually would have scooped up the ball, but now 35 and slowed following knee surgery last spring, he allowed the ball to roll by him to the wall.
LeCroy scored from first and Hunter sped to third with a triple. When the relay throw from Soriano went high over third for an error, Hunter wound up coming home on what many kids refer to as a Little League home run.
Unwilling to tolerate failure, many Yankees' fans in the crowd booed, a reaction that cropped up again in the eighth when Jeff Nelson relieved Mussina and walked his first - and only - hitter.
While the Yankees bumbled, the Twins executed the little things that often turn games played under postseason pressure. Guzman, their shortstop, went down to one knee to throw out Juan Rivera on a bouncer near second base in the third, then ran in to throw out Rivera on a slow roller in the fifth.
New York constantly has shuffled players all season - seven of the players on Tuesday's roster weren't with the team on opening day - to try to find the right combination for its 27th Series title. But the Yankees fizzled when they had a chance to get back into the game in the seventh.
Romero walked Matsui leading off and Boone singled off Hawkins. Sierra batted for Rivera and hit into a forceout that left runners at the corners, and Hawkins then overpowered Soriano and Johnson, striking out both.
The Yankees haven't been as effective in day games this year, only going 35-26 in them as compared to 66-35 at night.
Pettitte will face Brad Radke on Thursday:
Brad Radke
Like most of the rotation, Radke struggled in the first half. He admitted not having the feel of his trademark changeup pitch and it showed. He went 5-9 with a 5.49 ERA with 20 homers and for him, an unusual 20 walks allowed. A sign of his early-season troubles came when he was hit hard in an 11-4 loss to New York on April 18 at the Metrodome. Radke gave up seven runs on nine hits, including three home runs, over five innings. It's been a significantly different story in 14 starts since the All-Star break, where he went 9-1. In September, he was 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA.
Andy Pettitte
Pettitte keeps his remarkable streak alive, pitching Game 2 of the Division Series for the Yankees for a ninth consecutive postseason. Pettitte has been the Yankees' hottest pitcher, winning 16 of his last 18 decisions dating back to early June. Pettitte is 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA in the Division Series, but he is 3-1 in his last five ALDS starts. Pettitte's 10 career postseason wins rank him fourth all-time.
Worldseries.com
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