Game Report

YANKEES 5, RANGERS 4 (12 inn.)

SERIES AT A GLANCE GAME 1--Texas 3, New York 1

GAME 2--New York 5, Texas 4 (12 inn.)

FRIDAY--New York (Jimmy Key 12-11) at Texas (Darren Oliver 14-6), 5 p.m., Channel 4.

SATURDAY--New York (Kenny Rogers 12-8 or David Cone) at Texas (Bobby Witt 16-12), 10 a.m., ESPN.

SUNDAY--(If necessary) New York (TBA) at Texas (John Burkett), 1 p.m., ESPN.

NOTES

Steinbrenner Offends Wives

If it’s the postseason in New York, you can bet controversial Yankee owner George Steinbrenner will stir up some trouble.

Last season it was Steinbrenner’s verbal tirade against an umpiring crew he thought blew several calls in the division series against Seattle, even going so far as to invite reporters into his box to view replays.

This season, it is Wifegate, which began with a bizarre Steinbrenner request that the wives of Texas Ranger players stop cheering so loudly during Game 1 Tuesday night.

“Now, rooting for Texas isn’t what I had a problem with,” Steinbrenner said. “They were blocking people’s view, and I asked the guy whose box it was to have them sit down, and one of them wouldn’t.”

Ranger President Tom Schieffer said the wives “were very upset,” but he didn’t want to make an issue out of it.

*

Wednesday was the 18-year anniversary of Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent’s memorable three-run homer into the screen above Fenway Park’s Green Monster, which led the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff to determine the 1978 East Division champion.

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SCORECARD

SECOND INNING

Rangers 1, Yankees 0

Rangers--Gonzalez homered to left, his second. Clark grounded to second. Palmer struck out. Tettleton walked. McLemore struck out. One run, one hit, one left.

Rangers 1, Yankees 1

Yankees--Martinez walked. Fielder walked. Duncan forced Fielder. Leyritz forced Duncan, Martinez scoring. Jeter lined to second. One run, no hits, one left.

THIRD INNING

Rangers 4, Yankees 1

Rangers--Elster doubled to center. Hamilton lined to short. Rodriguez flied to right, Elster taking third. Greer walked. Gonzalez homered to left, his third. Clark walked. Palmer forced Clark. Three runs, two hits, one left.

FOURTH INNING

Rangers 4, Yankees 2

Yankees--Williams grounded to first, pitcher covering. Martinez flied to right. Fielder homered to left, his first. Duncan struck out. One run, one hit.

SEVENTH INNING

Rangers 4, Yankees 3

Yankees--Leyritz was hit by a pitch. Girardi ran for Leyritz. Jeter singled to center, Girardi stopping at second. Cook replaced Hill. Raines sacrificed. Hayes, batting for Boggs, flied to center, Girardi scoring, Jeter taking third. O’Neill popped to third. One run, one hit, one left.

EIGHTH INNING

Rangers 4, Yankees 4

Yankees--Russell pitching. Williams singled to right. Martinez flied to right, Williams taking second. Fielder singled to right, Williams scoring. Fox ran for Fielder. Duncan flied to center, Fox out advancing. One run, two hits.

TWELFTH INNING

Yankees 5, Rangers 4

Yankees--Jeter singled to center. Raines walked. Henneman replaced Stanton. Hayes reached on Palmer’s fielding error, Jeter scoring. One run (unearned), one hit, one error, two left.