Third time’s a charm for N.Y. pitcher
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, October 17, 2001
By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE — The ring is won in October, not April or August.
For proof, just look at what Andy Pettitte and the defending World Series champion New York Yankees did to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
The Yankees pitcher, battered by the Mariners in two regular-season losses, pitched a three-hitter through eight innings and beat the Mariners 4-2 in the first game of the American League Championship Series at Safeco Field.
The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 2 at 5:20 p.m. today at Safeco Field.
Right-hander Freddy Garcia, who beat the Cleveland Indians on Sunday in a must-win situation in the division series, will start for the Mariners against Mike Mussina, who was 1-1 against Seattle in the regular season.
It’s not like that means anything, given Pettitte’s performance Wednesday. The Mariners had beaten him 7-5 on April 25 and 10-2 Aug. 19, but this time he was dominant.
"He’s been a stud for a long time," said Mariners left fielder Jay Buhner, who struck out twice against Pettitte, including a key strikeout with a runner on third base and one out in the fifth inning. Pettitte ended that inning by striking out Dan Wilson, then allowed only one other base runner before he was lifted after eight innings.
"He has won a lot of big games for them," Buhner said. "He’s a battler, and you know he’s going to be tough."
The Mariners, who won six of the nine games against the Yankees in the regular season, know this is the toughest time of year to beat them. They have won the World Series four of the last five years, including the last three.
"They’re the defending champs, and that says a lot about them," Buhner said. "It helps from a confidence standpoint. You know you have to play them for a full nine (innings), and you have to play mistake-free."
One mistake, a fastball down the middle of the plate thrown by Mariners pitcher Aaron Sele, became the difference in the game. Paul O’Neill hit that pitch into the right-field seats for a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
The Yankees added another run in the ninth and, even though the Mariners scored once in the bottom of the ninth, their inability to hit off Pettitte as they had earlier this year put them one game down in the series.
