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Athletics-Yankees at a Glance
Pitchers | Hitters | Matchup Breakdown | Big Picture
| Oakland Athletics |
W-L: 21-8
ERA: 3.45
Vs. NYY: 0-1, 2.57 |
W-L: 18-9
ERA: 3.37
Vs. NYY: 1-2, 3.24 |
W-L: 17-8
ERA: 3.49
Vs. NYY: 2-0, 3.46 |
W-L: 13-6
ERA: 3.59
Vs. NYY: 1-1, 14.73 |
| Team pitching statistics |
| New York Yankees |
W-L: 20-3
ERA: 3.51
Vs. OAK: 1-0, 1.88 |
W-L: 15-10
ERA: 3.99
Vs. OAK: 0-0, 3.38 |
W-L: 17-11
ERA: 3.15
Vs. OAK: 0-1, 3.21 |
W-L: 4-7
ERA: 4.85
Vs. OAK: 0-0, 3.60 |
| Team pitching statistics |
Pitchers | Hitters | Matchup Breakdown | Big Picture
Pitchers | Hitters | Matchup Breakdown | Big Picture
| Matchups |
Athletics:
Despite its offensive prowess, pitching likely will
make the difference against the three-time defending World Series
champions. Manager Art Howe arranged the four starters in a
lefty-righty-lefty-righty rotation, with 21-game winner Mulder
pitching in Game 1 and 18-game winner Hudson in Game 2.
After
being swept in first series against Yankees to finish 8-18 April,
A's swept pair of three-game series in Oakland against New York.
Giambi's two-run, ninth-inning homer off Stanton finished off
the final sweep with a 4-2 win on Aug. 12.
Giambi and Dye each
homered three times vs. Yankees.
Oakland seems to be as capable
as anyone of snuffing the Yankees' postseason mystique. Some of the
A's biggest contributors -- Mulder and Damon, for instance -- have no
postseason experience, but most of the roster learned about playoff
pressure from last season's five-game division series loss to New
York.
Yankees:
Clemens lost twice to Oakland in last year's playoffs. He
is 14-14 in his career against the A's -- the only AL team he
doesn't have a winning record against.
Stanton and Rivera were
keys in last year's series, allowing only one run in 9 1/3 innings.
Beat Mulder, Hudson and Zito in succession in three-game sweep
at Yankee Stadium in April. But A's have been a different team
since.
Williams (.091, 1 RBI) and O'Neill (.207) struggled
against Oakland this season.
The Yankees went 22-21 against
lefty starters, and will face three (Mulder twice and Zito once) if
series goes the limit.
Hernandez is 5-0 in his career against
A's -- including win in Game 3 of last year's playoffs -- but his
health is a question heading into series.
Jeter hit .342 with
two homers and Martinez batted .314 against A's this season.
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Pitchers | Hitters | Matchup Breakdown | Big Picture
| Athletics |
Baseball's best team over the past three months heads
into the postseason on a serious roll. The A's are 58-17 since the
All-Star break -- the second best post-break record ever. Oakland
won at least 100 games for the ninth time in club history.
The
A's achievements are even more remarkable considering they started
the season 8-18.
Giambi, a soon-to-be free agent who might be
wearing pinstripes next season, has been outstanding for Oakland in
the regular season's final weeks, cementing his case for a second
AL MVP award.
Dye has been impressive as a midseason
acquisition, averaging nearly one RBI per game. He also has
protected Giambi from the cleanup spot, giving him many more
quality pitches to hit.
All four of the A's starters have been
outstanding down the stretch. Zito, who beat the Yankees in Game 4
of last season's division series, was the AL Pitcher of the Month
in August and September, while Mulder won the award in July and led
the league in victories. Hudson has been his usual steady self, and
Lidle won a spot in the postseason rotation with an impressive,
consistent season that didn't show up in his statistics until the
A's began to play better overall.
Oakland's Coliseum, usually
among the league's quietest stadiums, will be loud for Games 3 and
4. The A's experienced a significant upswing in attendance this
season.
Chavez and Tejada are the first third baseman-shortstop
combo in baseball history to hit 30 homers apiece.
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| Yankees |
Manager Joe Torre doesn't have the big bats that the A's
have, but pitching -- especially the bullpen -- has been the key to
run of four World Series titles in his five seasons in New York.
Looking to become just third team to win four straight titles,
joining Yankees from 1949-53 and 1936-39.
Torre and GM Brian
Cashman are in the final year of their contracts and could be let
go by demanding owner George Steinbrenner if they don't deliver
another championship.
Weren't the best team in the AL during
the regular season, but always play best in biggest situations.
Lost 15 of 18 to end last season, but recovered to beat A's in
first round on way to World Series title.
Justice and O'Neill
struggled down stretch of regular season and enter playoffs
limping. Torre might not be able to use either in outfield, forcing
him to choose which one to play at DH and use Spencer in right
field.
Williams is key to making the offense go. Appears to
have hit his stride after slow September, with three homers in
first week of October.
Jeter and Brosius made 37 errors on left
side of infield.
Mendoza will be counted on to replace departed
Jeff Nelson as righty setup man for Rivera.
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| Things To Look For |
|
Last Hurrah? O'Neill, Martinez, Brosius and Knoblauch -- key
cogs in the last three World Series titles -- all could be in their
final days in pinstripes.
Dye Job. The acquisition of Dye was one of the key moves of
the season. He has 13 homers, 59 RBIs and a .297 average in 61
games since joining Oakland from Kansas City in a three-way trade
with Colorado on July 25. The Athletics are 48-14 since the trade
and 12-1 when he homers.
Got to Go to Mo. The starting pitching is even, Oakland has
the better offense, but the Yankees have Rivera -- the greatest
postseason reliever ever. Rivera has an 0.71 ERA in the postseason
and hasn't blown a lead since Game 4 of the ALDS in 1997. Torre
doesn't hesitate to bring in his closer in the eighth inning,
meaning Oakland better get ahead early.
Izzy ready? Isringhausen was terrible earlier this season. But
since he figured out he was tipping his pitches by the way he
stepped on the rubber, he has converted nine straight save
opportunities. Still, he could be the weakest link on the A's
pitching staff. |
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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