Going to the Well

Yankees' ace battles Cleveland's Ogea in Game 5 of ALCS

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Posted: Sunday October 11, 1998 02:26 PM

Well done: David Wells has allowed only two runs in two playoff starts AP

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- After a stellar pitching performance on Saturday night, the New York Yankees will be looking for more of the same Sunday from ace David Wells as they battle the Cleveland Indians in the pivotal Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

Orlando Hernandez put the charmed season back on course Saturday, pitching seven shutout innings and getting help from two relievers as the Yankees blanked the Indians, 4-0, to even the series at two wins apiece.

New York has needed to rely on its pitching staff as it continues to struggle offensively. The Yankees, who led the league with 965 runs scored during the season, had only four hits in winning Saturday's game and have been held to three runs or less four times this postseason.

Wells (2-0, 1.10 ERA) aims for his third victory of this playoffs when he starts for New York. After allowing five hits over eight innings in a 2-0 win over Texas in the Division Series, Wells defeated the Indians in Game 1, surrendering five hits and a meaningless two-run homer by Manny Ramirez before leaving with one out in the ninth.

Wells also owns a 6-1 career postseason mark, with two of those wins coming against the Indians. The burly left-hander fired a complete game win at Cleveland in Game 3 of last season's Division Series. New York has held the opposition to two runs or less in five of seven postseason games.

Numbers game: Ogea's postseason ERA is 3.38. Wright's is a whopping 19.80 AP

Rather than start Jaret Wright, who was bombed in Game 1, Indians manager Mike Hargrove has opted to send Chad Ogea (0-0, 3.38) to the mound. Ogea has not started since losing at New York on September 22. He did pitch in relief in Game One, allowing two runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings.

However, pitching in pressure situations is nothing new for Ogea. He won a pair of games in the World Series last season, including Game 6 when the Indians were facing elimination. He is 2-2 in his career in the postseason, with those two losses coming in the last season's American League Championship series against Baltimore.

"Jaret has not been effective in his last two starts and Chad has good numbers against the Yankees," Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove said.

Cleveland could be without catcher Sandy Alomar for Sunday's game. He left Saturday's game with back spasms and is listed as day-to-day. If he is unable to go, Einar Diaz would likely start behind the plate. He is hitless in one postseason at-bat and he hit just .229 in 17 games this season.

One player who's been hot for the Indians is Omar Vizquel. In addition to playing his usual great defense at shortstop, Vizquel had three of the Indians' four hits Saturday and is 6-for-8 over the last two games.

The Indians have been outscored 12-1 in the first inning in the postseason. The series returns to New York on Tuesday for Game 6 and Wednesday for Game 7, if necessary.  

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