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ALCS Notebook Mariners try to beat the man who's beaten them most
SEATTLE (AP) -- Going into Saturday night's game, Clemens was 21-11 against the Mariners, the team he struck out 20 against in 1986 to set the major league record for a nine-inning game. Rickey Henderson, 11-for-66 (.167) with 19 strikeouts against the Rocket, was out of Seattle's starting lineup. The batting order did include two players who have struggled against the five-time Cy Young-Award winner: John Olerud (10-for-59, .169) and Edgar Martinez (18-for-78, .231). Alex Rodriguez entered with a .341 average against Clemens, going 15-for-44) with three doubles and a home run.
Playing sevenHall of Famer Reggie Jackson knows how the Yankees feel playing with Mariano Rivera in the bullpen."Anytime they have a two-run lead, the game's over," Jackson said Saturday. "It's like when I played ... with (Rich) Gossage and (Rollie) Fingers. We knew we only had to play a seven-inning game." Rivera on Friday broke Whitey Ford's record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason. Jackson, a special adviser to the Yankees, said he loves Rivera's cool on the mound. "He's like death on the cover of GQ," Jackson said. Rivera and is feature along with several teammates and some New York Mets in the magazine's latest issue.
Lineup shakeupSeattle Manager Lou Piniella was desperate to inject some life into his batting order Saturday. He started Stan Javier in right field and had him leading off.Mike Cameron, who hits first or second most of the time, was dropped to sixth. Carlos Guillen, third player acquired in the 1998 Randy Johnson deal along with John Halama and Freddy Garcia, got his first start of the postseason and hit seventh. Guillen started at third in place of Mark McLemore, hitting .167 this postseason. "We just gave him the day off. He'll be back in there," Piniella said. Guillen's pinch-hit bunt scored the winning run in Game 3 of the Mariners sweep of the White Sox in their division series.
Getting wellPitching coach Mel Stottlemyre is eager to return to the Yankees, Manager Joe Torre said Saturday. Stottlemyre left the team Sept. 11 for a stem-cell transplant to treat multiple myeloma."The doctors still won't let him hang out with our guys yet, but that's expected," Torre said. "He's getting antsy. He would love to be back."
Pregame showThe big screen on the center field scoreboard showed the NLCS game as the Mariners and Yankees prepared to play Saturday.Yankee Paul O'Neill paused during his warmups to watch Mark McGwire fly out in the fourth inning. "Didn't miss by much," O'Neill said. The Yankees never show Mets' games at Yankee Stadium. In his early years as Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner treated spring training games between the crostown rivals as if they were the World Series.
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