Three months ago, Chicago White Sox outfielder Harold Baines ripped a two-run, walk-off homer off John Wetteland to give Chicago a 7-5 win.
Tonight, it was deja vu all over again, as a Baines walk-off home run did Wetteland in again. After coming in for Mariano Rivera in the 10th, Wetteland was able to retire Frank Thomas on a line drive to left field. Up came Baines, who worked the count 2-2. Wetteland went with the fastball, but Baines didn’t miss it. ”I just didn’t think he would be ready for it,” Wetteland said. ”Maybe he was sitting on it. It’s kind of hard to believe.” (Via NY Times)
When the ball landed just over the left-centerfield fence, the Yankees were handed a 3-2 loss. Thanks in part to a few baserunning mistakes, one by Derek Jeter in the 8th and the other by Darryl Strawberry in the 10th, the Yankees felt they handed the game away. “That’s not our style. We like to take advantage of what people give us. Tonight, we gave one away. We don’t like to do that.” (Via NY Times)
The Yankees wasted another good start by Dwight Gooden, who went six-and-two-thirds innings while giving up just two runs on four hits. The Yankees’ lone runs came off the bat of Tino Martinez, who hit a home run in the second inning off White Sox starter Alex Fernandez. That was all Fernandez gave up, however, as he went the distance while striking out seven.
With the game tied in the eighth, Jeter made a rookie mistake. He was on second with two outs and Cecil Fielder at the plate when he took off for third base. He was thrown out, ending the inning and the Yankees’ chance to take the lead. “IÂ was stunned, obviously. When I saw him take off, I couldn’t believe it,” Torre said. “When you have Cecil Fielder, you nail yourself to the base. Either he knocks you in or he doesn’t. You don’t trade for Fielder to take the bat out of his hands.” (Via NY Times)
Jeter said he saw third baseman Robin Venture back up, so he thought he could make it easily. He then added “the bottom line is, I shouldn’t have gone.” (Via NY Times)
In the tenth, also with the game tied, Strawberry misread a bunt sign for a hit-and-run sign and was easily thrown out at second base, also ending a potential rally. The Yankees will try to even the series tomorrow as David Weathers starts against Mike Bertotti.
Box score and current stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yankees 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 0
White Sox 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 6 0
Batting AB R H RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG
Jeter SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 .308 .367 .415
Boggs 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 .317 .395 .402
ONeill RF 3 0 0 0 1 0 .301 .419 .455
Fielder DH 3 1 0 0 1 1 .251 .358 .491
Martinez 1B 3 1 1 2 1 0 .302 .364 .472
B.Williams CF 4 0 1 0 0 1 .297 .377 .515
Strawberry LF 4 0 1 0 0 2 .255 .364 .539
Duncan 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 .329 .341 .473
Girardi C 4 0 0 0 0 1 .303 .358 .373
HR: Martinez (17)
RBI: Martinez 2 (87)
Pitching IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Gooden 6.2 4 2 2 7 4 3.88
Nelson 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 4.33
Rivera 2 1 0 0 1 3 2.10
Wetteland L (1-3) 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 3.42
