Game 14: Apr 20, 1999 (L: 4-0)[ Previous Game | Next Game ]
[ Schedule Menu | Main Page ]
Game 14: Apr 20, 1999 (L: 4-0)
[ Previous Game | Next Game ]
[ Schedule Menu | Main Page ]
Game Commentary
Game Photos
Box/Line Score
Game Recap
Game Log
Commentary (by me)
Once again, David Cone killed the Rangers. In the last two outings against
the Rangers (the other being Game 3 of the playoffs last year), we were shut the hell down
by him - totally. I have to say that when I saw Cone's name as the pitcher here, I
groaned, because he's still a very underrated pitcher - I wouldn't mind having him our our
staff, that's for sure.
Quite the opposite was John Burkett. I knew we were in trouble when the first pitch of the game hit Chuck Knoblauch. Was a definite eye-roller. And then Paul O'Neill gave the Yankees all they needed with the first of two home runs for him in the first inning. Burkett has had a major slide in quality this season. He hasn't been a dominating pitcher since he was with the Giants severeal years ago, but at worst, he was just "OK". This year, IMHO, he's gone backwards into bad. That's a shame, because I really like the guy. Today's DMN is reporting that there might be a problem with Burkett physically, and he could have to go on the DL because of it. If that's true, it might explain his problems - but if he does go on the DL, we don't have a whole lot of options. I thought last night that Simms coming back might bump Burkett from the roster, as Loaiza is pitching decent, but if Burkett goes on the DL, I think that Loaiza would go back to the rotation. However, I agree with what Jim says below about Loaiza and the pen - I'd really hate to see Burkett go on the DL, but he's not doing us all that good where he is. The bizarre thing is that I look at the scores here, and 4-0 isn't all that bad, really. It's just that Burkett got helped out by a double play in the first, and some good fielding. He seemed to struggle from the getgo. One bright spot was Esteban Loaiza. He seemed to pitch really good today, and I hope to god he can hold that up, as I want him to succeed, because if he doesn't, it means we gave up Warren Morris for nothing. :)
We had a couple of threats going late, but they didn't amount to anything. Our offense was non existant (only 4 hits total). Not much else to say about this game, other than we got shut down big time by David Cone.
Commentary (by Jim Meeks)
As Yankee great Yogi Berra once said, "It's deja vu all over again".
Tuesday's game brought back painful memories of the 1998 American League Playoffs to
Rangers' fans as the Yankees, behind a masterful David Cone, defeated the Rangers 4 to 0.
The Rangers managed just 4 hits the entire ball game - all singles. Cone came at the
Rangers from every angle known to man and had them off balance the entire night.
Paul O'Neill did most of the damage for the Yanks, as he drove 2 John Burkett pitches out
of the ballpark in less than 3 innings. Burkett actually did well to only give up 3 runs
in his 2.0 innings as he was in trouble his entire short stay.
Esteban Loaiza may have found his niche for the Rangers. He pitched middle relief again
and gave up just one earned run in 3.2 innings pitched. As much as we all seem to dislike
Loaiza, he has saved the bullpen from a tough road of misery, eating up innings since
Opening Day.
The Rangers try to rebound Wednesday behind Rick Helling, who pitched very well his last
time out.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Paul O'Neill's first inning home run | Burkett after having given up that home run | Royce Clayton turning a double play.... | ...and Derek Jeter returning the favor | Ranger nemesis David Cone & third baseman Luis Sojo |
Line Score
AL FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
TEXAS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
NY YANKEES 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 x 4 13 0 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: TEX - JOHN BURKETT, ESTEBAN LOAIZA (3RD), ERIC
GUNDERSON (6TH), DANNY PATTERSON (8TH) AND
IVAN RODRIGUEZ
NYY - DAVID CONE, MARIANO RIVERA (9TH) AND JORGE
POSADA
WP - DAVID CONE (3-0)
LP - JOHN BURKETT (0-2)
SAVE - NONE
HOME RUNS: TEX - NONE
NYY - PAUL ONEILL (2) OFF BURKETT IN THE 1ST, 1 ON
PAUL ONEILL (3) OFF BURKETT IN THE 3RD, 0 ON
TIME: 2:37 ATT: 24,514
PROBABLES: TEX - RICK HELLING (0-2, 8.59)
NYY - ROGER CLEMENS (1-0, 5.29)
Box Score
TEXAS (0) AT NY YANKEES (4) - FINAL
TEXAS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
T Goodwin cf 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 .244
Mclemore 2b 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .295
Greer lf 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .309
J Gonzalez rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .291
R Palmeiro dh 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .326
I Rodriguez c 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .275
Zeile 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .265
L Stevens 1b 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .340
Clayton ss 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 .121
Totals 29 0 4 0 3 7 10
BATTING: Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - R Palmeiro 1,
L Stevens 1. GIDP - Greer, R Palmeiro. Team LOB - 5.
BASERUNNING: SB - T Goodwin (5, 2nd base off Cone/Posada).
FIELDING: DP: 1 (Mclemore-Clayton-L Stevens).
NY YANKEES ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
Knoblauch 2b 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .298
Jeter ss 5 1 1 0 0 1 5 .431
Oneill rf 4 2 2 3 0 0 1 .283
B Williams cf 4 1 3 0 0 0 0 .333
T Martinez 1b 3 0 2 0 1 0 1 .239
C Davis dh 4 0 1 1 0 1 2 .357
Posada c 4 0 0 0 0 2 5 .087
Ledee lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 4 .133
Sojo 3b 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 .455
Totals 35 4 13 4 2 6 20
BATTING: 2B - C Davis (2, Loaiza); T Martinez (3, Gunderson);
Sojo (1, D Patterson). HR - Oneill 2 (3, 1st inning off Burkett
1 on, 1 out, 3rd inning off Burkett 0 on, 0 out). RBI - Oneill 3 (15),
C Davis (10). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - Jeter 3,
Ledee 3, Posada 1. GIDP - T Martinez. Team LOB - 10.
BASERUNNING: CS - Knoblauch (1, 2nd base by Burkett/I Rodriguez).
FIELDING: DP: 2 (Knoblauch-Jeter-T Martinez, T Martinez-Jeter-M Rivera).
TEXAS ip h r er bb so hr era
Burkett (L, 0-2) 2 7 3 3 2 1 2 12.00
Loaiza 3 2/3 4 1 1 0 4 0 6.43
Gunderson 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 9.00
D Patterson 2/3 1 0 0 0 0 0 5.06
NY YANKEES ip h r er bb so hr era
Cone (W, 3-0) 8 3 0 0 3 7 0 0.93
M Rivera 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3.86
Burkett pitched to 3 batters in the 3rd.
HBP - Knoblauch (by Burkett). Pitches-strikes: Cone 99-66;
M Rivera 6-4; Burkett 39-17; Loaiza 49-34; Gunderson 23-14;
D Patterson 6-4. Ground balls-fly balls: Cone 9-8; M Rivera 2-1;
Burkett 3-1; Loaiza 3-4; Gunderson 1-3; D Patterson 0-2.
Batters faced: Cone 29; M Rivera 3; Burkett 14; Loaiza 15;
Gunderson 6; D Patterson 3.
UMPIRES: HP--Dave Phillips. 1B--Durwood Merrill. 2B--Rocky Roe.
3B--John Hirschbeck.
T--2:37. Att--24,514. Weather: 48 degrees, cloudy. Wind: 6 mph,
right to left.
Game Recap
BRONX, NEW YORK (TICKER) -- David Cone pitched eight scoreless innings and Paul
O'Neill broke out of a slump with a pair of homers as the New York Yankees snapped a
four-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Cone (3-0) used a variety of arm angles and nasty sinkers to keep Texas batters
off-balance all game. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven, lowering his ERA to
a stingy 0.93. Cone improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium.
"He was pitching tonight," Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "That is the
beginning of the story, the end of the story, David Cone. He pitched as well as I've ever
seen him tonight. He threw very few in the strike zone that we had a chance to hit."
"The guy is a veteran," New York catcher Jorge Posada added. "He is going
to come out and go after hitters and be aggressive."
New York, which had not lost five in a row since September 1997, was coming off a rare
three-game series sweep at Detroit where it managed just two earned runs.
"We're used to winning so when we do lose a series, a lot is made of it,"
O'Neill said. "We know we can play well but you can't assume it. Get good pitching,
defense and score some runs. When we get pitching, we win."
O'Neill equaled the total from Detroit when he broke an 0-for-15 slump with a two-run shot
into the right-field bleachers in the first. He took Texas starter John Burkett's first
offering of the third over the wall in right to record his 14th career multi-homer game
and first since September 10 against Toronto.
"Fifteen at-bats is not a slump," O'Neill added. "In a season where you get
500 or 600 at-bats, 15 does not make your year. Every day you want to come out and get a
hit but baseball is not that way."
Burkett (0-2) failed to complete three innings for the third time this season, allowing
three runs and seven hits and walking two batters in two-plus frames. He dropped to 0-4
lifetime against New York.
Texas, which has dropped three of its last four games, must have sensed a hint of
familiarity in the evening's events. The Rangers were held to just one run while suffering
a three-game sweep against the Yankees in last season's American League Division Series.
Cone pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the clincher of that series in Texas.
Mariano Rivera worked a scoreless ninth to complete New York's third shutout this season.
Texas slugger Juan Gonzalez, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player and RBI
champion, was held to a single in four at-bats and remains homerless with just seven RBI
after 14 games.
Bernie Williams and Luis Sojo had three hits apiece for the Yankees, who complete the
two-game set Wednesday. New York has won nine of the last 12 regular-season meetings from
Texas.
Mark McLemore, Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro each had a hit for Texas, which was shut
out for the second time this season.
Burkett got off to an ominous start when he hit Chuck Knoblauch to lead off the bottom of
the first. Rodriguez appeared to give Burkett a reprieve when he threw out Knoblauch
attempting to steal second.
But Derek Jeter followed with a single before O'Neill launched his second homer of the
season on a 2-0 pitch.
"When a pitcher throws a changeup, they want to get it down," said O'Neill.
"He got that one up. The second one, I hit that one pretty good. When you hit the
ball in (right field) in Yankee Stadium, it has a chance to go out."
O'Neill popped out to lead off the fifth before Williams and Tino Martinez stroked
back-to-back singles off reliever Esteban Loaiza to put runners at the corners. Chili
Davis doubled to left to score Williams, capping the scoring.
Loaiza allowed one run and four hits over 3 2/3 innings before Eric Gunderson and Danny
Patterson combined for two scoreless innings.
Cone, who has limited Texas to five earned runs in 28 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium, did
not allow a hit until McLemore singled to lead off the fourth. He did not face any trouble
until the sixth.
"We could have had anyone on the mound tonight," Oates added. "One run was
going to be enough for Cone."
After issuing consecutive one-out walks to Tom Goodwin and McLemore, Cone used a wicked
sinker to induce Rusty Greer into an inning-ending double play.
Palmeiro and Rodriguez had back-to-back singles with one out in the seventh but Cone got
Todd Zeile to foul out to the catcher and struck out Lee Stevens to escape the inning.
Game Log
Texas Starting Lineups -- Tom Goodwin CF, Mark Mclemore 2B, Rusty Greer LF, Juan
Gonzalez RF, Rafael Palmeiro DH, Ivan Rodriguez C, Todd Zeile 3B, Lee Stevens 1B, Royce
Clayton SS, John Burkett RHP.
Ny Yankees Starting Lineups -- Chuck Knoblauch 2B, Derek Jeter SS, Paul Oneill RF, Bernie
Williams CF, Tino Martinez 1B, Chili Davis DH, Jorge Posada C, Ricky Ledee LF, Luis Sojo
3B, David Cone RHP.
Umpires -- Phillips (HP), D Merrill (1B), Roe (2B), J Hirschbeck (3B).
Gametime Weather: 48 degrees, Cloudy, wind right to left at 6 mph.
TEXAS 1ST: T Goodwin struck out looking. Mclemore grounded out to second. Greer walked. J
Gonzalez flied out to center. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 0.
NY YANKEES 1ST: Knoblauch hit by pitch. Knoblauch caught stealing, catcher to shortstop.
Jeter singled to left. Oneill homered to right center, Jeter scored. B Williams singled to
left. T Martinez grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, B Williams out
at second. (2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 2.
TEXAS 2ND: R Palmeiro flied out to center. I Rodriguez grounded out to third. Zeile struck
out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 2.
NY YANKEES 2ND: C Davis struck out swinging. Posada flied out to center. Ledee singled to
center. Sojo singled to right, Ledee to second. Knoblauch walked, Ledee to third, Sojo to
second. Jeter grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Knoblauch out at second. (0
Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 2.
TEXAS 3RD: L Stevens flied out to center. Clayton grounded out to shortstop. T Goodwin
flied out to right. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 2.
NY YANKEES 3RD: Oneill homered to right. B Williams singled to right. T Martinez walked, B
Williams to second. Esteban Loaiza relieved John Burkett. C Davis flied out to center.
Posada struck out swinging. Ledee struck out looking. (1 Run, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0,
NY YANKEES 3.
TEXAS 4TH: Mclemore singled to right. Greer grounded out to pitcher, Mclemore to second. J
Gonzalez struck out swinging. R Palmeiro popped out to second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors)
TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 3.
NY YANKEES 4TH: Sojo flied out to center. Knoblauch grounded out to shortstop. Jeter
struck out swinging. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 3.
TEXAS 5TH: I Rodriguez flied out to shallow left. Zeile grounded out to third. L Stevens
struck out looking. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 3.
NY YANKEES 5TH: Oneill popped out to third. B Williams singled to center. T Martinez
singled to right center, B Williams to third. C Davis doubled to left, B Williams scored,
T Martinez to third. Posada struck out swinging. Ledee grounded out to first. (1 Run, 3
Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
TEXAS 6TH: Clayton struck out looking. T Goodwin walked. T Goodwin stole second. Mclemore
walked. Greer grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Mclemore out at
second. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
NY YANKEES 6TH: Sojo reached on infield single. Knoblauch grounded into fielder's choice
to shortstop, Sojo out at second. Jeter flied out to right. Eric Gunderson relieved
Esteban Loaiza. Oneill flied out to left. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
TEXAS 7TH: J Gonzalez flied out to center. R Palmeiro singled to right. I Rodriguez
singled to right, R Palmeiro to second. Zeile fouled out to catcher. L Stevens struck out
swinging. (0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
NY YANKEES 7TH: B Williams grounded out to second. T Martinez doubled to left. C Davis
flied out to right, T Martinez to third. Posada flied out to left. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0
Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
TEXAS 8TH: Clayton struck out swinging. T Goodwin grounded out to second. Mclemore
grounded out to shortstop. (0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
NY YANKEES 8TH: Ledee struck out swinging. Danny Patterson relieved Eric Gunderson. Sojo
doubled to left. Knoblauch flied out to right. Jeter popped out to second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit,
0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.
TEXAS 9TH: Mariano Rivera relieved David Cone. Greer flied out to center. J Gonzalez
singled to left. R Palmeiro grounded into double play, first to shortstop to pitcher, J
Gonzalez out at second. (0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors) TEXAS 0, NY YANKEES 4.