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Wild thing Ankiel still can't find range, pulled in first inning
Updated: Friday October 13, 2000 11:26 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Rick Ankiel was a wild man again in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series, throwing two wild pitches, sending five deliveries to the backstop and retiring only two batters. The 21-year-old rookie became the first player in 110 years to throw five wild pitches in an inning in Game 1 of the St. Louis Cardinals' first-round series against Atlanta. On Thursday night, he became the third player in NLCS history to throw two wild pitches in an inning, joining Jeff Calhoun of Houston (1986) and Sterling Hitchcock of San Diego (1998). The left-hander also matched the NLCS record for wild pitches in a game. Of his 34 pitches, only 14 were strikes. "It's the exact same thing as last time," Ankiel said after the Cardinals' 6-5 loss to the New York Mets. "It's unfortunate. I feel like I let this team down, and it's terrible."
Manager Tony La Russa said he shouldn't have started Ankiel. "I think my responsibility is to put players in the right position to succeed," La Russa said. "Before anybody starts kicking Rick around, I think the blame is with me for putting him in there. This guy's too special." Ankiel was off from the first pitch, which was right at Timo Perez's head. Ankiel went to a 3-2 count on Perez, with all three balls in the vicinity of his head, before catching him on a called third strike. Pitching coach Dave Duncan stifled a smile in the dugout during the display. Ankiel threw two pitches that were probably five feet outside to the Mets' second batter, Edgardo Alfonzo, before walking him on a full count. His first official wild pitch, way outside and high, came against No. 3 hitter Mike Piazza. His second wild pitch, another delivery that was way outside and high, came on ball four to Piazza as Alfonzo advanced to third. After a visit from Duncan, La Russa got on the telephone to the bullpen. Britt Reames began loosening with a 1-0 count to Todd Zeile, the Mets' cleanup hitter. "They come out there and they tell me what I'm doing wrong," Ankiel said. "But I still can't get it right when I'm out there." On Ankiel's 26th pitch, Zeile finally put a ball in play when he lined to center for a sacrifice fly. After Robin Ventura walked on four pitches, Benny Agbayani followed with an RBI double for a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals had finally seen enough when Ankiel threw ball one to Jay Payton, the seventh batter of the inning, and Duncan removed him. Ankiel wiped his brow on the way to the dugout and headed straight for the clubhouse, with several teammates following him.
Ankiel was 11-7 with a staff-leading 3.50 ERA in the regular season, and threw 12 wild pitches in 175 innings.
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