Not-so-dandy Andy

Pettitte's postseason funk escalates

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Posted: Saturday October 10, 1998 01:13 AM

Hand it over: Pettitte (right) allowed three home runs in 13 pitches in the fifth inning before getting yanked AP

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Andy Pettitte looked like he wanted to jump on one of those homers he'd just given up and ride it way out of Jacobs Field.

Instead, he had to wait on his mound for a reliever and then make the long walk back to the New York Yankees dugout, mumbling to himself and fighting back tears after the most humbling defeat of his career.

In less than five innings Friday night, in a game he absolutely had to win to get the New York Yankees righted, Pettitte gave up four homers for the first time in his career.

"It's very difficult," Pettitte said afterward in a tone that matched his words. "I had big expectations coming in. I wanted to give this team a quality start."

Instead, he started the Indians believing they can take down baseball's best team -- take 'em down and beat 'em up, too. Just like they did Pettitte.

Cleveland's 6-1 victory Friday night left the Indians up 2-1 in the American League championship series against the Yankees, who won an AL-record 114 games in the regular season.

The Yankees turned to Pettitte in a game they needed to win to get back momentum after their bunt-play gaffe cost them Game 2. Chuck Knoblauch -- mocked as a "Block Head" and given a standing ovation before his first at-bat -- helped the Yankees forget about the last game by singling and scoring to start this one.

Then Pettitte gave a performance he'll never forget, completing his personal playoff trilogy of horror against Cleveland.

Last year, he started against Cleveland twice in the first round and lost both games, including the Indians' Game 5 clincher, by giving up a run per inning -- 11 in all.

"I've had a lot of frustrating games," Pettitte said. "I had one here last year to end the season. It's just disappointing."

The run-per-inning pace quickened Friday night, starting with Jim Thome's second-inning shot to center that started Cleveland's homer odometer rolling.

The homers came so fast in the fifth that they nearly had to cut through the fireworks clouds left over from the previous one. In a 13-pitch sequence with two outs, the Indians hit three -- Manny Ramirez, then Thome, then Mark Whiten, who flipped his bat away and watched a 416-foot shot sail far over the left-field wall.

As he waited for reliever Ramiro Mendoza to reach the mound, standing with hands on hips, Pettitte looked like he was ready to cry.

After the inning, catcher Joe Girardi went to the dugout and gestured angrily in front of manager Joe Torre. He said he wasn't angry at Pettitte, who didn't shake him off once -- although sometimes Pettitte would shake his head when Girardi gave him the sign to do so.

The catcher wouldn't discuss it.

"I was just angry with a couple of things that happened, I'll put it that way," Girardi said. "I would not direct it at any player on the club because everybody's doing the best they can."

In Pettitte's case, it wasn't nearly good enough.  

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CNN/SI Player Page: Andy Pettitte
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Pettitte gave up two runs in the second inning and the Yankees never caught up   • Start(1.34 M .MOV) Pettitte talks about his performance in Game 3 (451 K) The Indians poured it on with three homers in the fifth (2.03 M) Click here for the latest audio and video
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