Captain Clutch
DEREK RESCUES 'HOMER' OPENER
By GEORGE KING
April 12, 2006 -- One, two, three - exhale.
That's what the Yankees did yesterday when Derek Jeter's three-run homer in the eighth climbed toward the blue sky on its way to the left-field seats.
On a wonderful afternoon for the home opener at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees flushed an early three-run lead, Chien-Ming Wang pitched poorly, Tanyon Sturtze didn't provide relief, and Bernie Williams committed a costly baserunning blunder.
Yet the schedule-maker put the Royals in the third-base dugout, and that, combined with Jeter's latest clutch hit, was the difference in a 9-7 Yankees victory that was witnessed by 54,698.
"We had a feeling something big would happen," said Jason Giambi, whose 3-2 walk started the five-run eighth. "[Jeter] was the right guy in the spot. He is unbelievable."
By now, nobody should be surprised when Jeter delivers. Nor should anybody believe it's sheer talent that enables Jeter to come through in the clutch.
Standing in the on-deck circle, Jeter watched gas-throwing Ambiorix Burgos strike out Johnny Damon on what Jeter said he believed to be three different pitches. According to Damon, it was two fastballs with different movement and a splitter.
"I thought he would try and get ahead with a fastball and he left it up," Jeter said of a split-fingered heater that he swatted for his second homer to give the Yankees their second straight victory and move them to 3-4. "He is not a guy you want to fall behind; he throws 97-98 mph."
The only thing left was for Mariano Rivera to work the ninth with a two-run lead. Rivera allowed two baserunners but ended it by snagging Doug Mientkiewicz's soft liner.
Trailing 7-4 going into the eighth because Wang gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings and Sturtze surrendered two runs and three hits in one-third of an inning, the Yankees rallied against 6-foot-10 lefty Andrew Sisco.
Giambi drew a 3-2 walk, and Hideki Matsui followed with a single to right. Jorge Posada walked to load the bases in front of Robinson Cano's grounder to third that forced Posada at second and scored Giambi. Bernie Williams, who fell asleep on the bases in the fourth to kill a strong scoring threat, plated Matsui with a single to make it 7-6.
Right-handed Burgos then blew away Damon, who went 1-for-3 and scored twice in his Yankees home debut, on three pitches for the second out. One pitch later, Jeter registered his latest "Big Yankee Moment."
"He isn't happy with his swing, but when something needs to get done he is at the start or end of it," Joe Torre said of his captain. "When he goes to the plate, he isn't affected by the situation."
Giambi's three-run homer off Joe Mays in the first staked Wang to a 3-0 lead, and through three frames it appeared Wang would have enough for a win. Eight of the nine outs came on ground balls as the Royals pounded Wang's signature sinker into the turf. The other out was a strikeout.
Wang, however, couldn't keep the ball down in the fourth, when Reggie Sanders homered and the Royals scored thee runs to tie the score, 4-4. A perfect fifth was followed by the sixth in which Wang loaded the bases without an out on a walk and two singles. He escaped giving up one run but was done for the day.
In the seventh, Sturtze gave up a leadoff homer to Shane Costa and an RBI single to Sanders and was replaced by Mike Myers.
Scott Proctor pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win.
"I thought we had great at-bats in the [eighth]," Torre said. "I thought all day long we had great at-bats."
None were shorter than Jeter's - or better.
george.king@nypost.com
By GEORGE KING
April 12, 2006 -- One, two, three - exhale.
That's what the Yankees did yesterday when Derek Jeter's three-run homer in the eighth climbed toward the blue sky on its way to the left-field seats.
On a wonderful afternoon for the home opener at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees flushed an early three-run lead, Chien-Ming Wang pitched poorly, Tanyon Sturtze didn't provide relief, and Bernie Williams committed a costly baserunning blunder.
Yet the schedule-maker put the Royals in the third-base dugout, and that, combined with Jeter's latest clutch hit, was the difference in a 9-7 Yankees victory that was witnessed by 54,698.
"We had a feeling something big would happen," said Jason Giambi, whose 3-2 walk started the five-run eighth. "[Jeter] was the right guy in the spot. He is unbelievable."
By now, nobody should be surprised when Jeter delivers. Nor should anybody believe it's sheer talent that enables Jeter to come through in the clutch.
Standing in the on-deck circle, Jeter watched gas-throwing Ambiorix Burgos strike out Johnny Damon on what Jeter said he believed to be three different pitches. According to Damon, it was two fastballs with different movement and a splitter.
"I thought he would try and get ahead with a fastball and he left it up," Jeter said of a split-fingered heater that he swatted for his second homer to give the Yankees their second straight victory and move them to 3-4. "He is not a guy you want to fall behind; he throws 97-98 mph."
The only thing left was for Mariano Rivera to work the ninth with a two-run lead. Rivera allowed two baserunners but ended it by snagging Doug Mientkiewicz's soft liner.
Trailing 7-4 going into the eighth because Wang gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings and Sturtze surrendered two runs and three hits in one-third of an inning, the Yankees rallied against 6-foot-10 lefty Andrew Sisco.
Giambi drew a 3-2 walk, and Hideki Matsui followed with a single to right. Jorge Posada walked to load the bases in front of Robinson Cano's grounder to third that forced Posada at second and scored Giambi. Bernie Williams, who fell asleep on the bases in the fourth to kill a strong scoring threat, plated Matsui with a single to make it 7-6.
Right-handed Burgos then blew away Damon, who went 1-for-3 and scored twice in his Yankees home debut, on three pitches for the second out. One pitch later, Jeter registered his latest "Big Yankee Moment."
"He isn't happy with his swing, but when something needs to get done he is at the start or end of it," Joe Torre said of his captain. "When he goes to the plate, he isn't affected by the situation."
Giambi's three-run homer off Joe Mays in the first staked Wang to a 3-0 lead, and through three frames it appeared Wang would have enough for a win. Eight of the nine outs came on ground balls as the Royals pounded Wang's signature sinker into the turf. The other out was a strikeout.
Wang, however, couldn't keep the ball down in the fourth, when Reggie Sanders homered and the Royals scored thee runs to tie the score, 4-4. A perfect fifth was followed by the sixth in which Wang loaded the bases without an out on a walk and two singles. He escaped giving up one run but was done for the day.
In the seventh, Sturtze gave up a leadoff homer to Shane Costa and an RBI single to Sanders and was replaced by Mike Myers.
Scott Proctor pitched a scoreless eighth to get the win.
"I thought we had great at-bats in the [eighth]," Torre said. "I thought all day long we had great at-bats."
None were shorter than Jeter's - or better.
george.king@nypost.com
posted by Walking Contradiction at 3:02 AM
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