How They Matchup

YANKEES’ ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS: Where to begin? They set a club record by hitting 242 home runs, two more than the old mark set in 1961, and tied the club record, also set in 1961, of six players with 20 or more homers. Five players scored at least 100 runs, the first time they did that since 1941, when one of those players was Joe DiMaggio. They also showed surprising resilience, rallying to win a major league-record 61 times. “I think we’ve come to rely more on the offense than in past years,” Manager Joe Torre said.

WEAKNESSES: They’ve had to rely on that offense because their starting pitching isn’t nearly as imposing as in recent years. They tied a major league record by recording only one complete game, by Mike Mussina on April 22. Their pitchers are hurting too, leading Torre to lean toward carrying 11 on his postseason roster. The biggest question is whether Orlando Hernandez can rebound from a sore right shoulder brought on by fatigue. Mussina and prospective Game 3 or 4 starter Kevin Brown missed significant time because of injuries, and Gary Sheffield has needed cortisone shots for a painful left shoulder.

KEY RESERVES: 1B Tony Clark (.221, 16 HR, 49 RBI), INF Enrique Wilson (.213, 6 HR, 31 RBI), OF Kenny Lofton (.275, 3 HR, 18 RBI).

TEAM BATTING: .268, eighth in AL.

TEAM ERA: 4.68, sixth in AL.

KEY TO THE SERIES: Will the starting rotation hold up? Torre is hoping Hernandez might be available for Game 3. If not, it’s a tossup between a still-not-in-sync Brown and Javier Vazquez. If the Yankees hit Santana hard, they could get a psychological edge, but it won’t be easy against the left-hander. And if they can’t get a win from Mussina they could be in trouble, because there’s no Clemens or Pettitte to pick up the pieces.

-- Helene Elliott