By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – Amnesia can be a pitcher’s best friend, as Aaron Sele hopes to prove today.
He is coming off the shortest outing of his postseason career, having given up four runs in two innings of a 17-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Saturday, yet Sele is finding that ignorance is bliss.
When asked Tuesday whether he has anything to prove after the last outing, Sele simply shrugged.
“No,” he said. “Why?”
End of response.
Sele has not forgotten his last outing with the Seattle Mariners. He’s simply turning the page. But if his start in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series today looks anything like his start four days ago, the Mariners might be in for another long afternoon.
“I’m sure he’s ready to try and erase what happened last time,” catcher Dan Wilson said. “I look for a good outing. He’s a guy I know will be prepared, physically and mentally, and be ready to go when we take the field.”
Sele’s recent history proves that he should be able to bounce back. His only other start this season that went less than three innings – a 9-7 win over Texas in which he was pulled in the third after allowing four runs off seven hits – was followed by six innings of shutout ball in a 3-0 victory against Anaheim.
“He’s proven over the years how dependable he is,” teammate Paul Abbott said. “He’s won a ton of games. I expect him to come out and be the Aaron Sele we’ve all seen. You have bad games. If they happen at playoff time, it’s magnified. I expect him to go out and pitch like he’s pitched all year.”
Manager Lou Piniella officially named Sele the Game 1 starter on Tuesday, when he announced the rotation for the entire series. Freddy Garcia will come back off three days rest to pitch in Game 2 Thursday, followed in order by Jamie Moyer, Abbott, Sele, Garcia and Moyer.
By throwing Garcia on three days rest, Piniella set up the rotation with his two best pitchers available in Games 6 and 7.
The New York Yankees will counter with Andy Pettitte in today’s game. Pettitte, a 29-year-old left-hander who has won eight of his last 11 postseason decisions, was 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA in two starts against the Mariners this season.
“He’s one of the best left-handers in the league, and we know that,” said the Mariners’ Bret Boone, who has five hits in eight career at-bats against Pettitte. “I don’t buy that he’s particularly tough in the postseason, because I’ve faced him in the regular season and the postseason, and I think he’s tough all the time. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
The Yankees will follow Pettitte with Mike Mussina, Orlando Hernandez and Roger Clemens. Although manager Joe Torre has not selected his possible starters for Games 6 and 7, it appears that Clemens – the favorite for the AL Cy Young award – will make only one start in this series.
Weary Yanks: While these two teams appear to be remarkably similar on paper, the Mariners definitely have the advantage when it comes to sleep.
The Yankees played at Oakland on Sunday evening, spent most of the night on an airplane back to New York, then played the A’s in Game 5 on Monday night. After that game, the Yankees flew back across the country and arrived in Seattle early Tuesday morning.
All totaled, the Yankees spent 12 hours on overnight cross-country flights during the past two days.
“It’s definitely draining,” Pettitte said Tuesday afternoon. “I think everybody is just ready to get through this workout here and get a nice meal in ourselves and go back to the hotel to go to sleep.”
Torre said the recent frequent flier miles won’t have any effect on today’s game.
“I had three hours sleep (Monday night), and I feel fine,” Torre said. “It’s just the high (of being in the playoffs). I may not look it, but I feel fine.”
Helping hands: If Boone can’t get out of his postseason slump during the Yankees series, it won’t be for a lack of advice.
Teammate Jay Buhner pulled Boone aside during the seventh inning of Game 5 of the AL Division Series. Asked what words of advice Buhner offered, Boone joked: “He said, ‘You suck, now get it going.’”
Said Buhner: “I just told him, ‘Hey look, tomorrow’s a new day, the start of a new series. Keep your head up, keep your same approach, and keep your same body language.’ You can go from a goat to a hero in a hurry in this game.”
Boone, who was 2-for-21 in the series with Cleveland, isn’t too concerned about his lack of production.
“My swing’s a little bit awry,” he said. “For me, it’s nice to get that series over with.”
Boone also heard some words of wisdom from his father, Bob, a former player and current Cincinnati Reds manager who is in town this week.
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