Clipped Yankees Right the Ship

The New York Yankees went the distance in last year’s postseason despite limited production from three renowned hitters: Tino Martinez, Paul O’Neill and Wade Boggs. For openers, however, the three went a long way toward erasing the memories during Tuesday’s 8-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of the divisional series.

Martinez singled and homered. O’Neill blasted the third of the three consecutive home runs in the sixth inning, highlighting a five-run rally. Boggs had a one-out single to ignite that rally.

Last year, in the division series, the league championship series and World Series, the three hit a combined .177, .182 with runners on base and .074 with runners in scoring position.

O’Neill was hampered by a hamstring strain, Boggs had a bad back that ultimately led to Charlie Hayes taking over at third base and Martinez simply “didn’t swing the bat well in September and it carried over into October.”

Said Chris Chambliss, the Yankee hitting coach: “It’s just impossible to know who’s going to hit and who’s not in the postseason, who’s going to get the big hits. We don’t know. That’s why we play the games.”

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While the usually reliable Cleveland bullpen was unable to hold a 6-3 lead in Game 1, the Yankee bullpen picked up where it left off last year.

Some names have changed--Mariano Rivera has replaced John Wetteland as the closer, middle man David Weathers is gone and Ramiro Mendoza is now a key component (as he was with 3 1/3 shutout innings in Game 1)--but the Yankee bullpen ranked second to Baltimore in regular-season saves and kept the Indians in sight Tuesday with 5 2/3 shutout innings.

In last year’s postseason, the New York bullpen went 6-1 with seven saves in seven opportunities.

In the four-game division series victory over the Texas Rangers, the relievers posted all three victories and gave up only one run in 19 2/3 innings.

“Without a doubt, the shorter the series the more a bullpen comes into play,” left-hander Mike Stanton said. “There aren’t a lot of blowouts at this time of year, so the bullpens are always having to get big outs.”

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With left-hander Andy Pettitte starting for the Yankees tonight, Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove said he would probably move Bip Roberts (who singled twice, walked twice and stole two bases in Game 1) to left field, play Tony Fernandez at second and replace Jim Thome with Kevin Seitzer at first.

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Jaret Wright, who starts Game 2 tonight, will be the first rookie to start a postseason game for the Indians since Gene Bearden in 1948. Bearden, 20-7 that year, became a bad name in Boston. He beat the Red Sox in the one-game playoff for the AL pennant, then pitched 10 shutout innings for a victory and a save in the World Series against the Braves, then in Boston.

TONIGHT’S GAME

CLEVELAND’S JARET WRIGHT

(8-3, 4.38 ERA)

vs.

NEW YORK’S ANDY PETTITTE

(18-7, 2.88 ERA)

5 p.m., Yankee Stadium, New York

TV--Channel 11

* Update--Wright, 21, is the youngest pitcher to start an American League division series game, but he showed poise after his June 24 recall by going 7-0 in games he started after a Cleveland loss and winning five of his last six decisions. Pettitte is 39-15 in his last two seasons and was 2-1 in the 1996 playoffs. However, he was hit hard in his only start against the Indians this year, giving up nine hits and five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-4 loss in June.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Series at a Glance

(Yankees lead series 1-0)

* Game 1: Yankees 8, Indians 6

* Game 2: Today at New York, 5 p.m.

* Game 3: Sat. at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m.

* Game 4: Sun. at Cleveland, 4:30 p.m.*

* Game 5: Monday at Cleveland, 5 p.m.*

* If necessary