Experience Helps El Duque

N E W  Y O R K, Oct. 6, 2000 -- The New York Yankees used Orlando Hernandez’splayoff experience and Oakland’s lack of it to move within one winof the AL championship series.

Hernandez, pitching without his best stuff, won his sixthstraight postseason decision, and the Yankees capitalized on theAthletics’ shoddy defense to win 4-2 Friday night and take a 2-1series lead.

Written off by many after losing the opener to Oakland—theireighth straight loss dating to the regular season—the two-timedefending World Series champions will send Roger Clemens (13-8) tothe mound in Game 4 Saturday night against rookie Barry Zito (7-4).

Hernandez battled through seven tough innings—with help fromhis defense—before turning the game over to closer MarianoRivera, who wrapped up New York’s 10th straight postseason win atYankee Stadium.

El Duque allowed two runs, four hits and five walks, needing 130pitches to do it. The Cuban defector had a sub-.500 regular season,but improved to 6-0 with a 1.24 ERA in seven postseason starts.

Capitalized on A’s Two Errors

The Yankees couldn’t mount much offensively against Tim Hudson,but took advantage of two errors, a couple of defensive lapses andtwo infield choppers to score their runs.

The A’s, who have eight players who are 25-years old or younger,insisted that they wouldn’t be spooked by playing at YankeeStadium. But their play in the field indicated otherwise.

Bernie Williams led off the second inning with a double for NewYork and Paul O’Neill chopped a one-out infield single overHudson’s head for his first hit of the series.

Glenallen Hill then hit a chopper that Hudson was able to field.But the 25-year-old right-hander threw home with no chance to catchthe speedy Williams. Giving up the easy out at first ended upcosting Hudson when Derek Jeter hit a two-out infield single togive New York a 2-1 lead.

New York added another run in the fourth with help from a baddecision in the field by Oakland. With Luis Sojo on first and noouts, Scott Brosius bunted in front of the plate. Catcher RamonHernandez, 24, went for the tough play at second, but his highthrow hit off shortstop Miguel Tejada’s glove, sending Sojo tothird on the error. Jeter gave New York a 3-1 lead with an RBIforceout.

Sojo added a run-scoring single with two outs in the eighth, hisfourth RBI of the series. A’s center fielder Terrence Long slippedafter fielding the ball, and was helped off the field.

Hernandez did the rest for the Yankees, proving once again thathe is New York’s October ace.

Mariners Squeeze a Sweep—

Shutting down the highest-scoring team in the majors for thethird straight game, the wild card Mariners beat the Chicago WhiteSox 2-1 on pinch-hitter Carlos Guillen’s bunt single in the bottomof the ninth inning today to win their AL playoff series.

The Mariners, who didn’t clinch their playoff spot until thefinal day of the regular season, won with one out when pinch-runnerRickey Henderson scored on Guillen’s safety-squeeze bunt.

John Olerud led off the inning with a hard liner off the stomachof Kelly Wunsch. The reliever scrambled to pick up the ball, butthrew it wildly past first baseman Frank Thomas.

Olerud reached second on a play scored as a single and an error.Henderson, baseball’s career stolen base king and second on theall-time runs list, replaced Olerud, and Keith Foulke relievedWunsch.

Henderson moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Stan Javier andDavid Bell drew a four-pitch walk.

Guillen, making his first appearance of the series, batted forJoe Oliver.

Bullpen Shines AgainSeattle’s bullpen again was the star of the game.

Jose Paniagua got the victory by striking out Magglio Ordonezfor the final out in the ninth. Arthur Rhodes pitched 1 1-3scoreless innings before Paniagua entered.

Wunsch, who was doubled over in pain in the dugout, took theloss.

The White Sox, who scored 978 runs this season — more than sixper game — managed only seven runs and 17 hits in the series.

Chicago finished with a batting average of .185 (17-for-92) inthe series. The White Sox batted .286 in the regular season.

“The Chicago team has a lot of explosive bats. They can put alot of runs on the board. Our bullpen and starting pitching —that’s been our story all year long,” Olerud said.

In the first playoff game ever at Safeco Field, the AL’s bestroad team managed only three hits off Aaron Sele, Rhodes andPaniagua. The White Sox also hit into three double plays.

Thomas, Chicago’s best hitter, was 0-for-9 with four walks inthe series. He was 0-for-2 with two walks today.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the second when Harold Bainesled off with a double and eventually scored on Herbert Perry’ssacrifice fly. Baines barely slid under Oliver at the plate.

The Mariners tied it in the fourth on Javier’s RBI single. RaulIbanez opened with a single, Alex Rodriguez sacrificed and Javiersingled with two outs off second baseman Ray Durham’s glove.

Sele, a 17-game winner who was 4-0 in September, continued hisstrong pitching. He allowed three hits and three walks.

“The guys played great behind me. They turned some tough doubleplays. We tried to keep it close and let the offense come around,”Sele said.

Chicago’s James Baldwin, who pitched despite a case of painfultendinitis in his right shoulder, struck out Javier to end thesixth after walking Edgar Martinez and Olerud with two out in theinning.

Baldwin gave the White Sox a strong six innings, leaving aftergiving three hits and three walks. He threw 92 pitches in hislongest appearance since Aug. 12, when he went seven inningsagainst Tampa Bay.