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FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Orlando Hernandez hopes some more postseason magic can help give the New York Yankees a commanding three games to none lead in the World Series tonight as the scene switches to Shea Stadium for Game Three. Hernandez (NR) is 8-0 with a 1.90 ERA in 10 career playoff appearances and has won all of three of his starts in this year's postseason. He is the first pitcher in major league history to win his first eight playoff decisions. "El Duque" allowed two runs and four hits in the Yankees' 4-2 victory over Oakland in Game Two of the American League Division Series and then evened the ALCS at a game apiece by holding Seattle to a run and six hits through eight innings of a 7-1 win. He was also victorious in New York's pennant-clinching 9-7 triumph on October 17, but was touched for six runs and seven hits in seven innings. The Cuban righthander has been especially dominant in the World Series, winning both of his starts while allowing two runs and seven hits with 17 strikeouts in 14 innings. Hernandez has enjoyed much success against the Mets, going 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA while striking out 17 in 22 career innings. He defeated them here on July 7 by scattering five hits over eight innings. After failing to defeat Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens, the Mets will have to do something against Hernandez if they want to have any chance to win the series. Their hitters are batting a paltry .218 (17-for-78) through the first two games and have struck out 20 times while stranding 26 runners. On Sunday, Clemens limited the Mets to just two hits in eight innings, but ignited a bizarre incident that could test both teams' mettle tonight. In his first at-bat against Clemens since the Yankees starter hit him in the head on July 8, Mets slugger Mike Piazza broke his bat while swinging at a 1-2 pitch and the barrel of the bat went flying toward Clemens on the mound. Clemens picked up the fragment and threw it at Piazza, who was jogging to first as the ball rolled foul. The bat skidded past the Mets' catcher and Piazza headed slowly for the mound. Both benches emptied, but order quickly was restored. The Mets scored five runs off Yankee relievers Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning, but the rally fell short en route to a 6-5 loss. They are hoping the breakthrough can carry over into tonight. The Mets held a share of the major league-lead by going 55-26 at home this season. They have also won four of the five games postseason games played here. Forty-six teams have taken the first two games of the World Series, with 35 going on to win the championship. One of the 11 teams that rallied was the 1986 Mets and another was the 1996 Yankees, the team that began this current dynasty. The Yankees dropped the first two games in 1996 at home but went on to win the next four. They swept the 1998 and 1999 World Series and are poised to add the club's 26th world championship, the most in professional team sports. "Well, we have our work cut out for us," Mets manager Bobby Valentine said. "No one said it was going to be easy. I think they know it is not going to be easy. We're going to make it as tough as possible for them." Todd Zeile, who had the only two hits off Clemens, is a lifetime .533 hitter with a home run and two RBI against Hernandez. But Piazza has just one hit in 10 career at-bats against him. Tino Martinez had three hits Sunday and remains the Yankees' top postseason hitter at .382 (21-for-55). Teammate Derek Jeter is riding an 11-game World Series hitting streak. Edgardo Alfonzo and Benny Agbayani both extended their hitting streaks Sunday. Alfonzo pushed his to 13 games, the longest in franchise history, while Agbayani is right behind him at 12. On Monday, Yankees manager Joe Torre announced that Jose Vizcaino will bat leadoff and play second base tonight instead of Chuck Knoblauch. Vizcaino drove home the winning run in the 12th inning of Saturday's 4-3 win but went 0-for-4 Sunday. Rick Reed (NR) will have the dubious assignment of trying to get the Mets back in contention in his World Series debut. A steady and consistent pitcher during the regular season, Reed has been shaky thus far in the playoffs, going 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in two starts. The righthander was roughed up in Game Three of the NLCS against St. Louis, yielding five runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of the Mets' 8-2 loss. He is 1-1 with a 4.03 ERA in his postseason career. Reed did not face the Yankees during the regular season but is 0-2 with 5.26 ERA in five career outings against them.
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