Mets Shock Giants in Thirteenth Inning
Oct. 8 — -- Olmedo Saenz quickly rocketed a three-run homeroff Roger Clemens, and Barry Zito and Oakland’s bullpen made surethe lead held up.
The brash Athletics forced the New York Yankees back to Oaklandfor a decisive fifth game in their AL playoff series with asurprisingly easy 11-1 rout Saturday night.
Zito, the youngest pitcher in the series at 22, shut down NewYork’s sickly offense for 5 2-3 innings in his postseason debut,allowing just one runner past first base until the sixth. A’srelievers didn’t allow a hit until the ninth.
Oakland, whose $33 million payroll is less than one-third of theYankees’ $113 million outlay, stopped the 10-game postseason homewinning streak of the two-time World Series champions and put NewYork one loss from elimination in the best-of-five, first-roundmatchup.
Pettitte Sent to Oakland
Andy Pettitte, who rescued New York by winning Game 2, willpitch on three days’ rest in the twilight on Sunday night againstGil Heredia, who beat Clemens in the opener. Both traveled to theWest Coast on Saturday, to be well rested in case Game 5 was neededto determine Seattle’s opponent in the AL championship seriesstarting Tuesday.
Clemens, the second-oldest player in the series at 38, lookedlike his five Cy Young Awards were rusty relics, dropping to 3-5with a 4.32 ERA in 14 postseason starts.
He walked two of his first three batters, gave up a line-drivehomer to Saenz into the left-field seats, then needed great defenseto bail him out of a jam in the second.
It took 25 pitches before a batter swung and missed, and hittersswung and missed just seven of the 93 pitches Clemens threw infive-plus innings.
While he recovered in the middle innings, retiring nine in arow, Oakland chased him in the sixth when Eric Chavez singled,Miguel Tejada doubled under the glove of a diving Scott Brosius atthird and Ben Grieve singled them both in.
Mets Triumph in 13th
Benny Agbayani flipped his bat, Barry Bonds watched the ball sail overthe left-field wall, and the New York Mets had won another playoffgame in their final at-bat.
