Mr. Wrong?

Wright's tough night could cost second start

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Wednesday October 07, 1998 06:34 PM

Mound of trouble: Wright's postseason ERA is 19.80 AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jaret Wright might not get thrown to the Yankees again.

Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove hopes his team can make it to a Game 5. And if the Indians do, he'll then have to decide on a starting pitcher.

Hargrove said before Game 2 on Wednesday that he was keeping his options open. One of them could be not using Wright.

Wright didn't get out of the first inning in Game 1 as the Yankees tagged him for five runs and five hits. It was Wright's second straight disastrous postseason start. He gave up a pair of three-run homers in his Game 1 start against the Red Sox in the division series.

"I think I have in consideration the fact that Jaret's last two postseason starts have not been what I think he expects of himself or we would like to have seen," he said.

"But I think we also have to realize that he has got tremendous stuff, and I think we will make the decision as we get closer to that. But I am looking at other options."

Wright had a storybook October last year. He beat the Yankees twice in the opening round of the playoffs and became the second youngest pitcher to start a deciding game of the World Series.

But his postseason in '98 has read more like a Stephen King novel.

Hargrove said Wright's biggest problem this fall has been his inability to get a breaking ball over for strikes. A power pitcher who realizes on locating his fastball, if Wright can't get his curve or slider over, he's in big trouble. And that's been just the case.

"Anytime he's struggled this year, it's been because he couldn't get his breaking ball over," said Hargrove. "I haven't seen what his velocity was last night, [catcher] Sandy Alomar said he was throwing the ball well."

Wright went 12-10 during the regular season and struggled through a period of "dead arm" trouble mostly because in his first full season in the majors, Wright had never thrown as many 129 innings in a season. He pitched 192 2-3 innings this year.

Hargrove will start Bartolo Colon in Game 3 and anticipates starting Dwight Gooden against his former Yankee teammates in Game 4. As long as Hargrove doesn't have to use Gooden or Dave Burba in long relief before then, Hargrove could start Burba in Game 5 -- should the Indians get to one.

However, Burba was 0-3 vs. the Yankees this season with a 6.16 ERA, and gave up four home runs against them just two weeks ago in a September 22 start.

"Stats can be a deciding factor if you're on the fence," Hargrove said.

And right now, that's where Wright is sitting.  

Related information
Stories
Wells shuts down Tribe as Yanks take ALCS opener 7-2 Wright backed off mound by Yankees
Stats
CNN/SI Player Page: Jaret Wright
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Message Boards
The Wright move? Should the Indians give Wright another shot against the Yanks? Discuss it on the CNN/SI Baseball Message Board! Join the discussion
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.