Monday, October 29, 2001
Yanks' percentages don't compute
By Tim Sullivan
The Cincinnati Enquirer
PHOENIX — Joe Torre went all-right, and it was all wrong. He benched his biggest run-producer in favor of a statistical anomaly. He pulled out all the stops Sunday night, but he couldn't get his team started.
The manager of the New York Yankees resorted to extreme measures in search of an answer for Randy Johnson. He found none. He played the percentages and produced futility. He watched his three-time defending world champions parade to the plate like so many condemned men.
He watched the Arizona Diamondbacks win the second game of the World Series by a score of 4-0 with a suspense level of squat. Johnson was that good. He was better than that good.
“He was wonderful,” Torre said. “He was sensational. He dominated like he's capable of doing. His control was great ... He lived up to what he's supposed to be tonight.”
Just as they had Saturday against Curt Schilling, the Yankees' attack consisted of three meager hits. But two of them came after Matt Williams' three-run seventh-inning homer stretched Johnson's lead from 1-0 to 4-0, and none of them moved a runner as far as third base.
“I thought yesterday we swung the bat all right and they played outstanding defense,” Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter said. “Tonight, he really dominated.”
It was not a perfect game, but Don Larsen was never more dominating. Johnson struck out 11 and had only three balls hit out of the infield in the air.
The Diamondbacks did not clinch the series Sunday night, but the Yankees now look as lifeless as the mannequins at Macy's. They have produced six hits and one run in two games.
The Yankees have twice recovered from 0-2 postseason deficits since 1996. But they may not have faced two power pitchers so near the top of their game since they were swept in the 1963 World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.
Even if the flat-footed Yankees can regain their stride against the lesser lights of Bob Brenly's rotation (Brian Anderson, Miguel Batista) they must beat either Johnson or Schilling -- and maybe both -- if they are to defend their title. At the moment, those odds are even longer than Johnson's inseam.
“They were both on their game,” Yankee outfielder Shane Spencer said of the Diamondbacks' twin aces. “When great pitchers get ahead of you, they're not going to give in, give you something you can drive. We'll go home, look at the tape, and maybe take a different approach.”
Torre's approach to the 6-foot-10 Johnson was the same one favored by most managers. He stacked his lineup with right-handed bats in search of players who would not bail out against Johnson's devastating sidearm delivery. He replaced first baseman Tino Martinez (34 homers, 113 runs batted in) with utilityman Randy Velarde (.452 lifetime against Johnson) and benched his two most experienced playoff performers: David Justice and Paul O'Neill.
“Randy Johnson,” Torre explained, “is one of those pitchers that will alter the lineup for the opposition, no question about it.”
Velarde, it turned out, was the Yankees' first baserunner, recipient of a four-pitch walk in the top of the fourth inning. Spencer, who played right field ahead of Justice or O'Neill, rapped a single in three at bats.
Yet only once were the Yankees able to advance a baserunner as far as second base. Only once did they hit the ball with any authority (Alfonso Soriano, single, eighth inning). From the bottom of the second through the top of the seventh, Johnson was obliged to work with a 1-0 lead, making it seem insurmountable.
“The axiom has never changed,” Torre said. “Good pitching stops good hitting. And that's what we've seen the last two days with Randy and Curt.”
If the Yankees are lucky, they'll see Johnson and Schilling again. If you can call that luck.
Contact Tim Sullivan at 768-8456; fax: 768-8550; e-mail: tsullivan@enquirer.com.
Reds Stories
Bengals: Get 'must' victory
Defense makes batch of big plays
Dillon: Knows how to carry load
Howard gives Bengals fits
Warrick gets close to comfort
Bengals Notebook
Flutie magic strikes again
Injured Cox vows to retaliate for block
NFL Sunday summaries
Monday Night Football
Firstar keeps C-USA tourney
Huskers' reward: Sooners again?
Horses: Trainer praises juveniles
Pens tie Panthers, lose Lemieux, Straka
Tennis digest
Gentlemen, start your aspirations
Local Division I quartet to host openers
Ohio football playoff pairings
Final Ohio computer ratings
Kentucky playoff pairings
Regional soccer semis up next
HS Cross country tourney
HS Field hockey tourney
HS Volleyball tourney
• Return to Reds front page...
Yanks' percentages don't compute
