Yankees’ Pattern Concerns Torre

The New York Yankees have yet to play like the defending world champions.

The Yankees continued a pattern of following a victory with a loss Sunday, defeating the Oakland Athletics, 3-2, in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, then losing, 7-4.

“It’s strange,” said Yankee Manager Joe Torre, whose team is 5-6. “We can do it only for so long. We need to get above .500 and we haven’t done it.”

The Yankees won the first game behind the pitching of Andy Pettitte (3-0) and home runs by Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter.

Pettitte allowed only four hits and one run in seven innings. He and Waite Hoyt are the only Yankee pitchers to win three times in the team’s first 10 games.

Mark McGwire hit a sacrifice fly against Brian Boehringer in the eighth that pulled the Athletics within 3-2. But Mike Stanton came in and, on his first pitch, got Jason Giambi to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his third save in five opportunities.

In the second game, Oakland scored four times in the third inning for a 5-0 lead against Ramiro Mendoza (0-1), called up from the minor leagues when Dwight Gooden was put on the disabled list because of a hernia.

Geronimo Berroa had an RBI single, Scott Brosius followed with a two-run single and Scott Spiezio doubled for another run.

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