Rocky Starts Are Not What Was Intended

Neither Game 4 starting pitcher--Oriole rookie right-hander Rocky Coppinger and Yankee left-hander Kenny Rogers--did much to distinguish himself Saturday night.

The Camden Yards public address system blared the theme from “Rocky” throughout the chilly evening in an effort to bolster Coppinger’s confidence, but Rocky looked more like Joe Palooka, getting whacked around for five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Rogers, who lasted only two innings in his division series start against Texas, turned Saturday night’s start into a three-inning high-wire act, running the count full to seven of the 16 batters he faced and getting tagged for four runs on five hits.

Coppinger hadn’t pitched since Sept. 26, when he threw 8 1/3 innings of five-hit, one-run ball against Toronto, and he obviously couldn’t shake off the cobwebs in the bullpen.

Derek Jeter opened the game with a double down the right-field line and Bernie Williams drilled his fifth postseason home run to the back row of the temporary bleachers above the right-field wall for a 2-0 lead.

Rogers gave up a run on a walk, single and sacrifice fly in the first, Coppinger gave up three more runs on homers by Darryl Strawberry in the second and Paul O’Neill in the fourth, and Rogers was tagged for three more runs, one coming on Chris Hoiles’ homer in the third.

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Oriole Manager Davey Johnson put left fielder B.J. Surhoff and designated hitter Eddie Murray on the bench against Rogers, going with Mike Devereaux and Pete Incaviglia in those respective spots. Surhoff is a .182 career hitter against Rogers and has been having knee problems to the extent that he ices them between innings. Devereaux has a .351 career average against Rogers, but started only once since Aug. 27 and was 1 for 13 since Aug. 24.

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Bobby Bonilla entered Game 4 hitless in 11 series at bats and three for 30 in the postseason. Said Johnson: “I think Bobby’s just trying too hard. Looks like he’s trying to hit the ball over the moon.”

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Yankee left-hander Andy Pettitte says that pitching on three days’ rest--as he will do today--tends to make him stay within himself, and enhances his movement.

“That’s what usually gets guys out, not my velocity,” he said. “I don’t throw hard enough to try and blow people away, so I think that on three days’ rest it’s really an advantage for me.”

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This is the seventh time in American League championship series history a team has taken a 3-1 series lead since the seven-game format was adopted in 1985, and only twice has a team failed to hold such a lead. Toronto held a 3-1 lead in 1985, but Kansas City came back to win the pennant, and the Angels held a 3-1 lead in 1986 until Boston rallied to win the next three games. . . . The Yankees and Orioles combined for five homers Saturday night and now have 13 in the first four games, an AL championship series record. The four homers by the Yankees Saturday tied a championship series record, set by Baltimore in 1971, and Oakland in 1973 and 1988.