YANKEES AT A GLANCE

Lineup

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2B Chuck Knoblauch .265 SS Derek Jeter .324 RF Paul O’Neill .317 CF Bernie Williams .339 1B Tino Martinez .281 DH Tim Raines .290 LF Shane Spencer .373 C Jorge Posada .268 3B Scott Brosius .300

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* Analysis: Superb pitching carried the Yankees past the Rangers in the division series. David Wells, Andy Pettitte and David Cone helped limit Texas to one run and 13 hits in three games that might have raised expectations so high in New York that anything short of a shutout will be considered a disappointment. The Yankees will need much more production from their first six batters--who combined to hit .175 against Texas--to relieve some pressure on their pitchers. “We’re lucky to have had [Shane] Spencer, [Joe] Brosius, [Joe] Girardi and [Chad] Curtis help us win the first round, but we need our first six guys to start hitting,” Manager Joe Torre said. “I have a feeling they have something left in the bank.” Torre shuffled his rotation so that Cone could start twice in Yankee Stadium, where he was 12-2 this season. Since his arm surgeries in 1996 and ‘97, Cone has lost feeling in his fingers in cold weather, and Torre expects temperatures to drop in Cleveland for the middle three games. The Yankee bullpen, led by closer Mariano Rivera and setup man Jeff Nelson, combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Texas.

* Key reserves: Catcher Joe Girardi (.276), outfielder Chad Curtis (.243), DH Chili Davis (.291).

* Team batting: .288, second in the American League.

* Team pitching: 3.82 ERA, first in the American League.

INDIANS AT A GLANCE

Lineup

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CF Kenny Lofton .282 SS Omar Vizquel .288 DH Jim Thome .293 RF Manny Ramirez .294 LF David Justice .280 3B Travis Fryman .287 1B Richie Sexson .310 C Sandy Alomar .235 2B Joey Cora .276

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* Analysis: The Indians hit only .206 in the division series but got by the Red Sox in four games on the strength of seven home runs, among them two each by Kenny Lofton, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome. David Justice, whose sixth-inning home run gave Atlanta a 1-0 victory in the sixth and final game of the 1995 World Series, has been on a tear, going five for 16 with a homer, four doubles and six RBIs in the division series and throwing out John Valentin at home in the sixth inning of Game 4, a 2-1 Indian victory. Omar Vizquel, in an awful playoff slump, has gone nine for 70 (.129) in his last 17 postseason games dating to the 1997 division series. Joey Cora, the late-season acquisition from Seattle, is a question mark defensively. Charles Nagy has the worst home earned-run average (6.08) among American League starters, which may be one reason Manager Mike Hargrove will start the right-hander in Yankee Stadium in Game 2. A key stat that could bode well in late innings for Cleveland: Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez, the top Yankee left-handed hitters, are six for 35 with no homers against Indian left-hander Paul Assenmacher.

* Key reserves: Outfielder Brian Giles (.269, 66 RBIs), infielder Enrique Wilson (.322).

* Team batting: .272, sixth in the American League.

* Team pitching: 4.44 ERA, fifth in the American League.

KEYS TO THE SERIES

For the Indians to have any chance, Jaret Wright, the 22-year-old right-hander from Anaheim Katella High School, is going to have to match last season’s postseason performance, when he beat the Yankees twice in the division series before going on to win Game 4 of the World Series and pitch extremely well in a losing effort in Game 7. Lofton and Vizquel need to get on base to maximize run-scoring opportunities for Cleveland’s big hitters. The Indians offer a variety of looks in the bullpen, from sidearm-throwing Steve Reed, to breaking-ball specialist Assenmacher, to hard-throwing Jim Poole, Paul Shuey and closer Mike Jackson, and Hargrove shuffled his relievers masterfully in the division series. For the Yankees, Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter, who went two for 20 in the division series, need to get on base, and O’Neill, Bernie Williams (0 for 11 against Texas) and Martinez must drive them in--they can’t rely on Spencer, the rookie phenom, to carry them through a seven-game series. If Wells, Pettitte and Cone are as effective against Cleveland as they were against Texas, the Indians won’t have a chance.

* Records: Yankees 114-48, Indians 89-73.

* Head to Head: Yankees won season series, 7-4.