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Wednesday, September 30, 1998
Yankees 2, Rangers 0
By BEN WALKER Associated Press
NEW YORK - David Wells delivered a perfect postseason start
for the New York Yankees.
Playing their most important game in nearly six months, the
Yankees looked every bit like the winningest team in AL history,
beating the Texas Rangers 2-0 Tuesday night in Game 1 of their
division series.
Wells pitched eight strong innings as the Yankees, who won
their final seven games to finish with 114 victories, picked up
exactly where they left off.
Wells, whose perfect game in May highlighted New York's dream
year, improved to 5-0 in postseason action with the Yankees, Baltimore,
Cincinnati and Toronto.
The left-hander gave up five hits and struck out nine. He kept
Juan Gonzalez from hitting a ball out of the infield and escaped
his only real jam by fanning Mike Simms to end the seventh with
runners on first and second.
Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth for a save as the Yankees
won one month to the day they clinched a playoff spot in August.
Todd Stottlemyre nearly matched Wells, allowing just six hits
and striking out eight for a complete game in front of his father,
Mel, New York's pitching coach.
The Stottlemyre family affair surely created some anxious moments.
The wives of both Mel and Todd sat in the Yankees' family section,
and did not hesitate to cheer when a New York runner was thrown
out at the plate in the first inning.
When Todd won at Yankee Stadium last month - his fifth straight
victory at the ballpark where he grew up as a kid - his mother
left her usual seat to sit with the Rangers' wives.
"I just wanted to be in this section this time,"
Jean Stottlemyre said.
The only controversial move made by Yankees manager Joe Torre
paid off handsomely. Chad Curtis, whose defense earned him the
start in left field ahead of fan favorites Darryl Strawberry and
Shane Spencer, doubled to set up a two-run second inning.
With the crowd of 57,362 cheering, Scott Brosius hit an RBI
single and then the Yankees tricked Texas, with Brosius getting
caught in a rundown on a steal attempt while Curtis sneaked home.
Andy Pettitte (16-11), who struggled down the stretch, will
start Game 2 Wednesday night against Texas' Rick Helling (20-7)
in the best-of-5 series.
While the Yankees began the playoffs with the second-best record
in baseball history, Texas' 88 victories were the fewest among
this year's postseason teams.
The Rangers' only previous playoff experience came in 1996,
when they got knocked out in the first round by New York despite
leading in all four games and getting five home runs from Gonzalez.
Wells shut down the AL's top-hitting team, permitting just
one runner past first base until the seventh. His lone walk came
to Mark McLemore leading off the game and Texas did not get a
hit until Rusty Greer singled off shortstop Derek Jeter's glove
with one out in the fourth.
Recently, Torre said the team's most important games this season
came in the first week after a 1-4 start. No surprise, it was
Wells who beat the Mariners in the opener of that series.
The Yankees lost a chance to jump on Stottlemyre right at the
start. He hit Chuck Knoblauch in the shoulder with his second
pitch and one out later, Paul O'Neill doubled into the left-field
corner.
But overly aggressive third-base coach Willie Randolph sent
Knoblauch - even with AL batting champion Bernie Williams on deck
- and the relay from Rusty Greer to shortstop Royce Clayton to
Gold Glove catcher Ivan Rodriguez nailed him.
A one-out walk to Jorge Posada and a double by Curtis put the
Yankees in position again in the second, and Brosius grounded
an RBI single to right.
With runners at the corners, Brosius took off for second as
Knoblauch struck out. When Rodriguez threw down, Brosius stopped
and got in a rundown while Curtis scored without a throw.
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