Klesko’s Play at First Was the Opportunity Yankees Jumped On

Seizing opportunities has characterized the New York Yankees’ remarkable resurgence, helping them close the ‘90s in style.

They ended their latest title run their way, capitalizing on another Atlanta miscue during a 4-1 World Series-clinching victory at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.

Atlanta first baseman Ryan Klesko couldn’t handle Tino Martinez’s hard grounder in the third inning, helping the Yankees take a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees followed a proven pattern from that point, completing a four-game sweep and winning their third Series championship in four seasons.

The Braves provided an assist.

“We’ve been the type of club that usually makes the most out of any advantage we’re given,” said pitcher David Cone, the Game 2 winner. “When teams make mistakes against us, we find a way to make something happen, whatever that may be.

“We understand how to win, and we know that you have to make the brakes you’re given work for you. We’ve been able to do that a lot.”

They did again Wednesday.

THE SITUATION

Neither team had scored but the Yankees were threatening.

They loaded the bases with one out against starter John Smoltz, someone accustomed to postseason pressure.

Smoltz is the all-time leader in playoff victories, and the right-hander was doing his best to help the Braves stave off elimination. Smoltz needed a grounder to escape the jam, and Martinez provided one.

On a 2-and-1 pitch, Martinez hit a one-hopper to Klesko--not among the smoothest first baseman.

The converted outfielder moved to the infield out of necessity because Andres Galarraga sat out the season while battling cancer. Klesko typically doesn’t maneuver well around the bag, but appeared to be in good position to make a play.

He wasn’t.

WHAT HAPPENED

Klesko badly misjudged the hop and the ball hit his forearm, ricocheting into shallow right field.

Chuck Knoblauch and Derek Jeter scored on the play, starting the championship victory party in the sellout crowd of 56,752.

“The ball just came up on me,” Klesko said. “I couldn’t get my body in front of it to knock it down. It’s just one of those things, one of those breaks the Yankees always get a lot of.

“A double-play ball hits something, takes a bad hop and hits me in the [forearm]. You’ve got to have those breaks to win.”

The 25-time Series champions know.

The support was enough for vindicated starter Roger Clemens and the exceptional Yankee bullpen. Martinez was generously credited with a two-run single, though the play may have been scored an error someplace other than The House That Ruth Built.

The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the inning on Jorge Posada’s run-scoring single, and then the party really got going.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Braves entered the game with a small margin for error. They exceeded it on Klesko’s misadventure.

“I don’t know if it was a bad hop or not,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “From our dugout, you really can’t see the balls very well on the ground, so I really don’t know what happened.

“We got the ground balls, but we didn’t get an out. That’s just the way it goes sometimes.”

THE LAST WORD

The Yankees made the Braves’ mistakes work for them throughout the series, helping them earn more title hardware.

“Every team that makes the World Series has that kind of stuff happen,” Klesko said. “In this series, all of it happened for the Yankees.”