Hershiser’s Ready for Everything

Orel Hershiser, who struggled in Game 1, will try to keep the Indians alive tonight when he starts Game 4.

It could be his last start of 1997. Could it also be his last start, period? Hershiser said he hopes to pitch again next year, when he will be 40.

“I’m not thinking of retiring physically or mentally,” he said. “It’s just a matter of finding the right situation. I want to pitch, and I think the Indians will give me the opportunity.

“If not, the way everyone is hungry for pitching, I think there’ll be an opportunity to find a home somewhere else.”

Hershiser had leads of 5-0 and 6-1 in Game 1, but he was removed in the fifth inning after the Yankees closed to 6-3 en route to an 8-6 victory.

He gave up six hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings, and suggested Saturday that he wasn’t entirely pleased to have been removed, although his 9-1 postseason record remained intact.

“I hung two sliders, and [Manager Mike Hargrove] lost confidence in me,” Hershiser said. “I was a little surprised he took me out, but not angry. As the No. 1 starter, you don’t expect to come out then, but Grover told us he would have a shorter leash in the playoffs.

“I mean, I don’t look on it as having to change things [when he pitches tonight]. It [Game 1] was an outing cut short because it was a playoff game. It wasn’t cut short because I was terrible.

The decision to start Hershiser means rookie Jaret Wright will pitch Game 5, if it’s needed.

“We have a lot of confidence in Orel,” Hargrove said. “He’s come up big for us since he’s been here.

TONIGHT’S GAME

YANKEES’ DWIGHT GOODEN

(9-5, 4.91 ERA)

vs.

INDIANS’ OREL HERSHISER

(14-6, 4.47 ERA)

Jacobs Field, 4:30 p.m.

TV--Channel 11.

* Update--Gooden, replacing David Cone, hasn’t pitched since Sept. 24, when he went seven innings in an 8-4 victory over the Indians. He hasn’t pitched a postseason game since 1988, when he was with the Mets, but he has a 5-0 career record against the Indians, including 3-0 this year. “I’m excited,” Gooden said. “A couple years ago, when I was out of baseball [for substance problems], I didn’t know if I’d get another chance, let alone pitch a playoff game.” The Yankees are 16-6 in four years at Jacobs Field and have also won nine straight postseason road games. (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SERIES AT A GLANCE

(Yankees lead series, 2-1)

* Game 1: New York 8, Cleveland 6

* Game 2: Cleveland 7, New York 5

* Game 3: New York 6, Cleveland 1

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

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