Isringhausen Rising to Occasion for A’s

The Athletics were clinging to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night, the Yankees had two on with no outs, and a crowd of 56,684 raised the volume in Yankee Stadium to ear-splitting decibels.

A’s first baseman Jason Giambi jogged to the mound for a chat with closer Jason Isringhausen. “Can you believe this?” Giambi said. “This is unbelievable!”

Replied Isringhausen: “I can’t feel my legs right now.”

Giambi: “That’s not good.”

Giambi and Isringhausen chuckled, and Giambi told his reliever to relax and throw strikes. Isringhausen struck out Jorge Posada looking and got David Justice and Scott Brosius to pop out, bringing an end to a thrilling Game 2 victory that gave the A’s a 2-0 edge in the series, which shifts to Network Associates Coliseum for Game 3 today.

“I don’t think I can get any more wound up than I did [Thursday] night,” Isringhausen said. “But I was able to get out of it. I made some good pitches, especially to Posada. Hopefully, that will help me settle down.”

A reliable closer is essential to playoff success; one key to the Yankees’ string of four World Series titles in five years has been the brilliance of Mariano Rivera. But there was some question this summer whether Isringhausen, who had nine blown saves to go with his 34 saves and 2.65 earned-run average, would provide the ninth-inning hammer the A’s needed to reach the World Series.

Those questions may have been answered when Isringhausen recorded saves in his last nine regular-season chances, pitched a one-two-three ninth in Game 1 Wednesday and escaped his jam in Game 2. A late-season adjustment after Isringhausen realized he may have been tipping pitches was key.

How did this come to light? “We watched a lot of video, and our hitters were talking to other hitters after it looked like we were going to clinch [a playoff spot],” Isringhausen said. “So I changed my delivery. Once you know what you’re doing wrong and you realize you don’t [stink], you gain a lot more confidence. I’m throwing the ball as well now as I have all year.”

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The current Yankee dynasty could be on its last legs. No baseball team has come back from a 2-0 deficit to win a five-game series after losing the first two games at home, Oakland has a franchise-record 17-game winning streak and won all six home games against the Yankees this season, and the A’s today will be starting left-hander Barry Zito, who went 11-1 with a 1.32 ERA in his last 13 starts and has a 1.96 ERA in 181/3 career innings against the Yankees.

With that in mind, New York Manager Joe Torre held a team meeting before Friday’s workout to remind his players that all they need to do is reel off a three-game winning streak.

“We shouldn’t be in the postseason unless we’re capable of winning three games in a row,” Torre said. “But we can’t think of it being such an enormous task that the astronomical odds of it happening monopolize your mind.”

TODAY

YANKEES’ MIKE MUSSINA (17-11, 3.15 ERA) vs. ATHLETICS’ BARRY ZITO (17-8, 3.49 ERA)

Network Associates Coliseum, 4:45 p.m.

TV--Channel 11

Update--Yankee Manager Joe Torre is pondering several lineup changes that could result in Scott Brosius, David Justice and Paul O’Neill, who combined for one hit in 24 at-bats in the first two games, being benched. With the lefty Zito starting for Oakland, right-handed Shane Spencer and Randy Velarde could get the call for the Yankees. If someone had told Oakland Manager Art Howe that the A’s would be 0 for 19 with runners in scoring position yet be up, 2-0, in the series, what would Howe have said? “You’re dreaming.”