Burkett Puts Cone of Silence on Yankees

That Yankee Stadium playoff crowd pitcher David Cone said would have “a real dangerous edge,” that would be “as loud and hostile as ever,” was tame as a kitten for much of Tuesday night.

Texas Ranger pitcher John Burkett, in his--and his franchise’s--first playoff game, pressed the mute button on 57,205 fans and most Yankee bats, pitching a 10-hitter to lead the Rangers to a 6-2 victory in the Division Series opener.

“These people get into it, and they can be intimidating,” said Ranger third baseman Dean Palmer, whose spectacular defensive play in the first inning saved two runs, and whose two-run homer capped a five-run fourth. “We were fortunate to score a few early runs and take the crowd out of it.”

By the end of the eighth, Burkett had taken a chunk of the crowd out of the game--literally. Though the Yankees had one more at-bat, many headed for the exits before the ninth, figuring the way Burkett was pitching the game was over.

They were right. Burkett, moving his fastball in and out, mixing in a cut-fastball and changeup, walked one and struck out seven, and the Yankee offense blew its clutch, going one for 12 with runners in scoring position.

The Yankees were appearing in the 36th postseason of their 94-year history, looking for their 34th trip to the World Series, whereas the Rangers were playoff neophytes--but it was the Yankees who were totally outplayed.

“I think,” Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner grumbled on his way out, “we got our fannies whipped.”

Cone, the Yankee ace who provided the feel-good story of the summer, coming back after having an aneurysm removed from his pitching arm, was roughed up for six runs on eight hits in six innings.

He looked good pitching three scoreless innings, but his accuracy thereafter was about as good as the right-field fans who threw debris at Ranger right fielder Juan Gonzalez in the sixth. . . . and missed.

“David missed with his location,” Manager Joe Torre said of Cone. “He got a couple pitches up, and when you make mistakes against Texas, they’re usually not singles.”

They’re home runs, like Gonzalez’s three-run shot to left and Palmer’s two-run shot to left in the fourth.

Palmer picked the right spot to make one of his best plays of the season. With runners on second and third and no outs in the first, Paul O’Neill smashed a one-hopper that seemed destined for the left-field corner.

But Palmer made a back-handed, diving grab and threw O’Neill out, and instead of having a two-run lead with a runner on second and no outs, the Yankees had to settle for one run after Bernie Williams’ RBI groundout and Tino Martinez’s fly out.

“That play was huge,” Burkett said. “It was a bullet down the line, and Dean just made a great grab.”

Burkett did the rest, giving up only one more run--on Martinez’s double, the first of three hits, and Mariano Duncan’s bloop single in the fourth.

Burkett’s defining moment came in the sixth, after Williams and Martinez singled to put runners on first and third with no outs and the Yankees trailing, 5-2.

But Darryl Strawberry waved at a fastball for strike three, and Burkett struck out Duncan looking.

Joe Girardi walked to load the bases, but Burkett jammed a fastball inside on Derek Jeter, who popped to first to end the threat.

Now the Yankees must rely on Andy Pettitte, who is 13-3 after Yankee losses, to forge a split in New York before heading to Texas.

“We haven’t done anything easy all year, so what’s new?” Torre said.