JETER FORKS UP FIVE-SPOT
JETER FORKS UP FIVE-SPOT
CAPTAIN 5-FOR-5 AS YANKS RIP TIGERS
By GEORGE KING
October 4, 2006 -- A record-tying five hits, a crushing homer in his final at-bat, three runs scored and the starting of a nifty double play that killed an early Tigers scoring chance.
So, what did Derek Jeter think of his fingerprints being all over an 8-4 Yankees victory over the Tigers in Game 1 of the ALDS last night at Yankee Stadium in front of 56,291?
"It means absolutely nothing unless we win (tonight)," said Jeter, who tied a postseason record for hits in a game and hiked his postseason career record for hits to 147.
After all these years, what else would you expect Jeter to say?
Prior to the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland alluded to some people viewing the Tigers-Yankees matchup as the varsity against the freshmen. While it wasn't exactly that, Jeter played like a man competing against toddlers.
"Derek Jeter is a great player," Alex Rodriguez said. "I'm very proud to be his teammate."
On the way out of the clubhouse, Johnny Damon was asked about Jeter's sizzling night.
"He was OK," Damon said.
Can Jeter be better in Game 2 tonight?
"Let's hope so," Damon said through a huge grin.
If Jeter improves from Game 1 to Game 2, then those who predicted the Yankees would leave cleat marks on the Tigers' backs will be right, because Jeter was perfect last night.
He singled in the first, doubled and scored in a five-run third, singled in the fourth, doubled and scored in the sixth and homered with one out in the eighth to at give Mariano Rivera an 8-4 lead to work the ninth with. Jeter killed a Tigers threat in the third when he went to his right to field a Placido Polanco grounder and turned it into a 6-4-3 double play, thanks to a quick throw to second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano's pivot and strong toss to Gary Sheffield completed the twin-killing and kept the game scoreless.
Of course, Jeter wasn't the only act, just the main one.
In his first Yankees postseason game, Bobby Abreu drove in four runs. Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer, was hit by pitches twice and drew a walk. Sheffield added an RBI single and played flawlessly at first. Rodriguez had one hit in four at-bats, but two of the outs were line drives. Chien-Ming Wang (three runs, eight hits in 6 2/3 innings) was beatable because his signature sinker didn't behave and Mike Myers, Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth were shaky. However, the Yankees danced out of the Stadium up 1-0 in the best-of-five series.
Game 2 tonight features Mike Mussina against Justin Verlander. Because the Tigers lost the last five games of the season - including three straight to the lowly Royals - and flushed the AL Central title, many believed the wild-card Tigers were nothing more than a pesky mosquito on the muscular Yankee arms.
Leyland, of course, wasn't in that crowd.
"I think a lot of people for whatever reason, they have this as the Yankees' varsity vs. the freshman team," Leyland said. "I don't feel that way. Those that said we lucked out and snuck in, I totally disagree with that. We won more games than only three teams in baseball. That's pretty good. I don't think we have to apologize for being here. We won two less games than the New York Yankees. That's not bad."
Yet, Leyland's club couldn't overcome a 5-0 third-inning deficit caused by Giambi's two-run homer, Abreu's two-run double and Sheffield's RBI single off Nate Robertson.
Nor did it have an answer for Jeter.
george.king@nypost.com
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
CAPTAIN 5-FOR-5 AS YANKS RIP TIGERS
By GEORGE KING
October 4, 2006 -- A record-tying five hits, a crushing homer in his final at-bat, three runs scored and the starting of a nifty double play that killed an early Tigers scoring chance.
So, what did Derek Jeter think of his fingerprints being all over an 8-4 Yankees victory over the Tigers in Game 1 of the ALDS last night at Yankee Stadium in front of 56,291?
"It means absolutely nothing unless we win (tonight)," said Jeter, who tied a postseason record for hits in a game and hiked his postseason career record for hits to 147.
After all these years, what else would you expect Jeter to say?
Prior to the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland alluded to some people viewing the Tigers-Yankees matchup as the varsity against the freshmen. While it wasn't exactly that, Jeter played like a man competing against toddlers.
"Derek Jeter is a great player," Alex Rodriguez said. "I'm very proud to be his teammate."
On the way out of the clubhouse, Johnny Damon was asked about Jeter's sizzling night.
"He was OK," Damon said.
Can Jeter be better in Game 2 tonight?
"Let's hope so," Damon said through a huge grin.
If Jeter improves from Game 1 to Game 2, then those who predicted the Yankees would leave cleat marks on the Tigers' backs will be right, because Jeter was perfect last night.
He singled in the first, doubled and scored in a five-run third, singled in the fourth, doubled and scored in the sixth and homered with one out in the eighth to at give Mariano Rivera an 8-4 lead to work the ninth with. Jeter killed a Tigers threat in the third when he went to his right to field a Placido Polanco grounder and turned it into a 6-4-3 double play, thanks to a quick throw to second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano's pivot and strong toss to Gary Sheffield completed the twin-killing and kept the game scoreless.
Of course, Jeter wasn't the only act, just the main one.
In his first Yankees postseason game, Bobby Abreu drove in four runs. Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer, was hit by pitches twice and drew a walk. Sheffield added an RBI single and played flawlessly at first. Rodriguez had one hit in four at-bats, but two of the outs were line drives. Chien-Ming Wang (three runs, eight hits in 6 2/3 innings) was beatable because his signature sinker didn't behave and Mike Myers, Scott Proctor and Kyle Farnsworth were shaky. However, the Yankees danced out of the Stadium up 1-0 in the best-of-five series.
Game 2 tonight features Mike Mussina against Justin Verlander. Because the Tigers lost the last five games of the season - including three straight to the lowly Royals - and flushed the AL Central title, many believed the wild-card Tigers were nothing more than a pesky mosquito on the muscular Yankee arms.
Leyland, of course, wasn't in that crowd.
"I think a lot of people for whatever reason, they have this as the Yankees' varsity vs. the freshman team," Leyland said. "I don't feel that way. Those that said we lucked out and snuck in, I totally disagree with that. We won more games than only three teams in baseball. That's pretty good. I don't think we have to apologize for being here. We won two less games than the New York Yankees. That's not bad."
Yet, Leyland's club couldn't overcome a 5-0 third-inning deficit caused by Giambi's two-run homer, Abreu's two-run double and Sheffield's RBI single off Nate Robertson.
Nor did it have an answer for Jeter.
george.king@nypost.com
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
posted by Walking Contradiction at 3:11 AM
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