BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : AMERICAN LEAGUE NOTES : Stewart Gives His Word: ‘I’ll Do My Job’

Dave Stewart’s fastball has lost more than a few miles per hour, but he hasn’t lost any of his confidence.

Stewart, who will start for the A’s today as Oakland tries to prolong its post-season life, predicted “we’re going to go back there up, 3-2,” after he prevails over David Cone today.

“I’m going to win,” said Stewart, who already holds the league championship series record of five playoff victories. “If I don’t, it’ll be damn close, and it won’t be because I didn’t do my job. I guarantee I’ll do my job. I’ll make it so we have a chance to win the game.”

Stewart, 35, gave up three runs in 7 2/3 innings in the series opener but didn’t get credit for the A’s 4-3 victory. “I’m not dissatisfied with anything. I did enough to give us a chance to win the game,” he said. “I never change my approach for anybody. My approach is always the same, be aggressive and throw the ball across the plate and make them hit it.”

In addition to his competitiveness, Stewart’s glare toward home plate is his trademark. It’s his way of concentrating, but if it intimidates hitters, so much the better.

“I just look like I’m looking at people I’m having problems with,” he said. “Out there you get in a lot of situations where you have to do a lot of thinking, and I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody that thinks and smiles at the same time. It’s probably just a higher level of intensity. A lot of stuff is going on during the course of a game that you find serious. To me it’s almost like life and death.”

Cone is relishing the prospect of pitching the pennant-clincher for the Blue Jays today, but he knows Stewart won’t make it easy.

“Facing him is a great challenge. It’s a tremendous opportunity to face a good pitcher,” said Cone, who pitched eight innings in Toronto’s Game 2 victory. “From the challenge standpoint I’m looking forward to it, but deep down I know it’s going to be a difficult assignment.”

With a crowd of 47,732 Sunday, 1,013 tickets were unsold. Saturday’s game also didn’t sell out, ending a string of 13 playoff and World Series sellouts that began in the second game of the 1974 AL playoffs. . . . Rickey Henderson twisted his left knee while making a throw from left field in the eighth inning but remained in the game after receiving treatment on the bench from trainer Barry Weinberg.