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One mistake to Posada costs Zito, A's
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- With one misplaced fastball, Barry Zito spoiled a two-hit playoff gem for the Athletics. Jorge Posada hit a home run in the fifth inning and it was enough to lift the New York Yankees over Oakland 1-0 Saturday night. The A's lead the AL playoff series, two games to one. "You make a mistake most times, it's not going to get hit out of the park," Zito said. Zito pitched eight innings, belying any nervousness by ferociously chewing gum. After holding the Yankees hitless for four innings, Zito's 1-0 pitch to Posada wound up bouncing off the top of the out-of-town scoreboard in left field for a home run. "It was a fastball that should have went in and didn't," Zito said. Last season, the quirky 23-year-old kept the playoffs alive for the A's by besting the Yankees 11-1 in New York -- forcing the eventual World Series champions to return to Oakland for Game 5 the next day. On Sunday, fans in the outfield posted Zs, signifying Zito's strikeout total. The left-hander reached six Zs -- including two in the seventh inning. "Barry obviously made one mistake and pitched a great ballgame. He has nothing to be upset about because he did his job," A's manager Art Howe said. "We couldn't muster any offense." Zito, who won his last nine regular-season starts, at times lacked control, hitting Tino Martinez with a pitch in the first inning, then dinging Derek Jeter in the elbow in the sixth. "Those are probably the only two that got away a pretty good amount," Zito said. Zito recalled that the one other time he had thrown a two-hitter and lost was while he was at Southern California. He lost to Stanford in the NCAA Super Regionals by the same 1-0 score. Known for dying his hair different colors and wearing vintage bowling shirts, Zito is part of a trio of young A's starters who tended to dominate their opponents. Mark Mulder, who won 21 games for the A's this season, gave up seven hits in 6 2/3 innings for a 5-3 Oakland victory in Game 1, while Tim Hudson gave up six hits in eight innings in the A's 2-0 victory Thursday night. But Zito made his one mistake to Posada, and the A's couldn't manage any runs behind him. "It's tough losing a game like that, but then again I felt good that I had my stuff tonight and I could hold them top one run," Zito said.
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